


From the moment I met you

by tancredi75



Category: Amar a Muerte (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cheating, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2019-11-24 20:24:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 53,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18169508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tancredi75/pseuds/tancredi75
Summary: When Juliana Valdés mother Lupita announce that she's getting married again, 10 years after her divorce from Juliana's father, no one is happier than Juliana. Lupita is marrying Leon Carvajal, a widower for eight years and when Juliana meets Valentina Carvajal at their parents engagement party, there's an instant attraction from Juliana's side but Valentina is engaged to Lucho. As the two women slowly get to know each other they gradually grow closer and eventually it develops into something more. Something that's stronger than either of them but it also causes a complete chaos. How will they handle their strong feelings for each other when there's so much at stake and other people is involved?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a remake of sorts of a fic I wrote for another fandom on a different fanfic site quite a few years ago now. The fic is based on a swedish movie called "kiss me" but it's not canon. I used the basic idea of the trailer of the film to write my own plot and I decided to try the same plot with Valentina and Juliana. It's very AU, the girls are both older in this fic and Lupita is a supportive mother from the start. Lucho is not entirely the same kind of douche as he was on the show. And the Carvajals, well their background isn't mentioned that much but I wouldn't say they're completely canon either. It's mostly about Juliana and Valentina and their journey through feelings they didn't know they could feel.  
> 

Chapter 1

Juliana Valdés was in her car on her way to her mother's engagement party. Her mother Lupita had, after her divorce from Juliana's father 10 years ago, mostly been alone. Sure there had been a few nice men here and there but nothing ever turned into something serious. Juliana chuckled, thinking about the countless times she'd talked to her mother on the phone, it always turned into the same conversation: her mother's constant self-pity about her non existing love life and that she would spend the rest of her life alone. Needless to say, it was a very surprised Juliana who received a phone call from her mother two weeks ago. A mother who was bubbling with joy and excitement and Juliana had a hard time trying to figure out what her mother was telling her through her squeals of joy. When she'd finally calmed down a little Juliana would learn that her mother was in fact engaged to be married to señor Leon Carvajal and she was head over heels in love. Her mother had mentioned earlier that she'd met someone but it was still so new, knowing that most of her mother's  _'I've met someone'_ never turned into something more, Juliana hadn't shown too much interest. So she had no idea who this Leon Carvajal was, but by the sound of her mother he was someone who made her incredibly happy and that was all Juliana needed to know. Later on she'd learned that Leon Carvajal was a widower and like Lupita, he'd been mostly alone since his wife past away 8 years ago. He also was a proud father of two daughters and a son. He'd proposed to Lupita about two months after they'd met on a cruise and now, Juliana was on her way to finally meet this man and to celebrate with the rest of their family and friends.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Juliana turned off the engine and got out of the car. She retrieved her bag from the back seat and as she looked up at the house she saw her mother stepping out on the front porch. Lupita wrapped Juliana up in her arms the second her daughter stood in front of her.

"I'm so glad you're here sweetie. You look beautiful." Lupita pulled away and gazed lovingly at her daughter.

She put her arm around Juliana's shoulder and turned her towards the front door.

"Come on, let's get inside. I can't wait for you to meet Leon." Lupita said with a huge smile on her face.

Juliana had to admit, her mother was absolutely glowing. She couldn't even remember ever seeing her this happy. They stepped inside and Lupita led Juliana in to the dining room which was beautifully decorated with burning candles and newly picked flowers. The whole atmosphere was so romantic and so much like her mother that Juliana's heart just filled with warmth and she pulled her mother in for another hug.

"I'm so happy for you mom." Lupita smiled and held her daughter a little tighter.

"Now I'd really like to meet this man who's made my mother so happy." Juliana continued.

"He's in the kitchen, I'll go get him."

A minute later her mother returned with her arm linked through her fiancé's, beaming like never before.

"Juliana honey, this is Leon. Leon, this is my daughter Juliana." Before Juliana had a chance to open her mouth, Leon had engulfed her in a big hug.

"Juliana! I've heard so much about you! I'm so glad to finally meet you." Leon said and released the daughter of his fiancée.

"Nice to finally meet you too señor Carvajal." Juliana said and smiled brightly.

"Call me Leon please, 'señor Carvajal' makes me feel old." Leon said and gave a warm smile back.

Lupita put an arm around her fiancé's waist and smiled. Juliana watched the pair and saw how her mother looked at the man beside her and saw nothing but love.

"You have a lovely house Leon. Is there anything I can help you with now?" Juliana asked.

"No, everything is finished. The guests will be here in about an hour so why don't you relax in the backyard for a while. You've had quite a drive." Leon said kindly.

"Okay, but if there's anything I can help you guys with, don't hesitate to ask." Juliana said back with a smile.

"Thank you Juliana, will do. Now go pour yourself a glass of wine and relax, take your mother with you. I'm sure you have some catching up to do." Leon said and kissed Lupita's cheek before he left the two women alone.

Lupita wrapped her arm around Juliana's waist and walked them out to the backyard. Juliana took a seat in the shadow under a huge oak tree while her mother went back inside to get the wine. It was a warm afternoon, Juliana leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. She opened her eyes when she heard the chair next to her squeak and was met by her mother's warm smile.

"It's really beautiful here mom." Juliana said and picked up the wineglass her mother had put down on the table in front of them.

"Yes, it is. I love being here. Leon bought this place a year after his wife passed away, he said the old house carried too many memories so he wanted a fresh start." Lupita said.

"I can understand that. So when will you be moving here?" Juliana asked and winked at her mother.

"He asked me to move in after he asked me to marry him. We haven't decided if I'll move in before or after the wedding. There's no rush really, there's a lot to take care of. I have to sell my apartment and organize a lot of other things but honestly? I can't wait to move in here and start the rest of our lives together." Lupita said and smiled.

"You know I never thought I'd say this but I'm actually a little jealous of you. All those talks about never finding love and spending the rest of your life alone, look at you now. You're so happy and in love and I'm so so happy for you mom but now it's like _ _I'm__ the one who's never going to find somebody to love." Juliana said and took another sip of her wine.

Lupita reached for her hand.

"Just because you and Maria didn't work out doesn't mean you won't find love again." Lupita said sincerely.

"I know, it's just… being surrounded by all this love just makes me wonder if I'll ever be lucky enough to find the same kind of love, you know? Maria was wonderful but she wasn't the right one for me, we just weren't meant to be."

Lupita leaned closer and placed a kiss on Juliana's temple.

"You'll find it honey, I know you will. Look at me? The hopeless case is now about to get married. Who would've thought?" Lupita said with a smile. Juliana chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, who would've thought?"

"Leon seems like a really nice man, and he's quite handsome too, for someone his age." Juliana said and winked.

"Hey! He's my age!" Lupita said resentfully.

Juliana laughed.

"Exactly" Juliana said and continued laughing. Lupita shoved her daughter playfully.

"Seriously though, I can tell he makes you very happy and I'm so happy for you. You deserve this mom and I can't wait for the wedding."

Lupita was just about to respond when Leon appeared on the back porch calling for their attention.

"Lupita, Juliana? My daughter and her fiancé just arrived, I want you to come and meet them." Leon said brightly.

Juliana and her mother left their wine glasses and walked up to Leon who led them in to the house where his daughter and fiancé was waiting.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

As they entered the dining room again Juliana saw the back of two people. A tall dark haired man and an equally tall woman with beautiful long, light brown hair. When Leon called out their names they turned around and as Juliana looked at the tall woman, Leon's daughter, she felt her breath caught in her throat. There was just something about her, she was beyond beautiful but there was something else, something Juliana couldn't pinpoint but just looking at her gave her a warm feeling inside. She almost missed when Leon called her name to get her attention.

"Lupita, Juliana, this is my daughter Valentina and her fiancé Lucho." Leon said and then turned to his daughter.

"This is my Lupita and her daughter Juliana." he continued.

Lupita instantly wrapped Valentina up in a hug.

"So good to finally meet you Valentina, I've heard so much about you." She smiled as she pulled back and looked at Leon's daughter.

She was strikingly beautiful with piercing blue eyes, just like her father.

"I'm glad to finally meet you too Lupita. This is Lucho, my fiancé." Valentina said and turned to her fiancé who immediately stretched out his hand to say hello. Lupita however ignored his hand and pulled him into a hug as well.

"Nice to meet you Lucho." she said as she withdrew from the hug.

"You too Lupita." Lucho said and smiled.

Juliana stood a bit behind her mother and watched them say hello to each other, her eyes strayed towards Leon's daughter every other second, she just couldn't help herself. Suddenly she felt her mother's hand on her shoulder and heard her voice.

"Valentina, Lucho, this is my daughter Juliana." Lupita said proudly.

Juliana smiled and took a step forward, Lucho held his hand out which she took and shock politely. Then her eyes turned to the left and instantly locked with a pair of the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. Her mouth suddenly felt dry and it felt like the temperature in the room had rapidly increased. There was a moment's awkwardness as it appeared both women were a bit uncertain how to greet each other. A simple handshake or a hug? They were going to be stepsisters so why wouldn't they hug? Valentina acted first and tentatively moved closer and gave her soon to be 'stepsister' a quick hug before looking back at her. She was incredibly beautiful and as her eyes found the other woman's dark ones she suddenly felt a strange feeling in her body. She had no idea what it was or where it came from so she shook it off.

"Nice to meet you Valentina."

"It's nice to meet you too Juliana." Valentina said and smiled.

Juliana smiled back but as Lucho wrapped his arm around Valentina's waist her smile faltered.

"Lucho, how about you and I go to the living room and get something to drink." Leon said and put a hand on Lucho's shoulder.

"Sounds good Leon." Lucho said and followed his father-in-law into the next room.

"So, what do you girls say about some more wine in the garden before the rest of the guests arrive?" Lupita asked.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea Lupita." Valentina said and smiled.

Lupita put an arm around each girls shoulder and led them out to the back yard. Juliana tried to focus straight ahead but failed every time, she just couldn't help herself from turning her head slightly to get a glimpse of Valentina. When they reached the place under the oak tree where Juliana and her mother sat a while ago, Lupita removed her arms from the girls' shoulders and motioned for them to take a seat.

"I'm just gonna go and get you a glass Valentina, I'll be right back" Lupita said with a smile before she turned and walked back into the house.

Both women followed her with their gaze and when she disappeared into the house they glanced at each other.

"So..." Juliana started.

"So..." Valentina repeated.

"Do you also live here in the area?" Juliana asked, trying to keep a conversation going.

"No, we live about two hours away. You?"

"I live in the city." Juliana answered.

"Oh so you're a big city girl then?" Valentina said with a smile.

Juliana laughed.

"Yeah I guess you could say that but I love getting away from the big city chaos every now and then. Mom has a cabin by a lake a couple of hours away, it's so peaceful and quiet there, I go there to relax as often as I have a chance.” Juliana said.

"That sounds really nice.” Valentina said and smiled.

"It is, you should come visit there sometime." Juliana started.

"I mean you and Lucho." she finished.

"Yeah? That would be wonderful." Valentina said sincerely and was struck by how quickly she'd come to like this woman.

"So, when are you and Lucho getting married?" Juliana asked and regretted asking cause she felt a pang in her heart the moment the words left her mouth. She had no idea why but she really didn't want to know when this gorgeous woman was getting married.

"We haven't set a specific date yet but in a couple of months. It will not be before dad and your mom's wedding." she answered.

"Are you married?" Valentina wondered.

"No, no, I'm not married. I'm not even dating anyone at the moment and even if the laws in this country has changed, some people still find it too controversial so no, marriage really isn't on the map for me." Juliana said, suddenly feeling like she'd said too much by the look on Valentina's face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be so blunt and just dump that information on you. I'm sorry..." Juliana said a little meekly.

Valentina was still processing what Juliana just said and what she meant by it when it clicked.

"You're gay..." It was more a statement than a question.

"Yes, sorry I didn't mean to come out to you like this, not that I'm not out. I'm very out and I'm not ashamed of who I am it's just I don't usually come out to people I've just met like within the first half hour and I know some people are having a hard time accepting this lifestyle and I'm sorry if-" Valentina put a hand on Juliana's arm to stop the rambling woman.

"Juliana? Calm down, take a breath." Juliana met Valentina's soft eyes and immediately she was silenced and completely mesmerized.

"I was rambling wasn't I?" Juliana asked a little embarrassed and was very aware of the hand still holding her arm.

"Maybe just a little." Valentina said and winked.

"But really Juliana it's totally fine, I have absolutely no problem with you being gay and I appreciate your honesty. Even if it wasn't your intention to come out to me right away, I'm glad you did. We're going to be 'sisters' soon anyway." Valentina continued and instantly that funny feeling she'd managed to push away, returned.

Something about referring to herself and Juliana as sisters, even though they weren't biologically related felt, well wrong. That was the only word she could think of to describe it but she had no idea why.

Juliana looked down at her lap and tried to ignore the little voice in the back of her head that was telling her the reason she didn't want to be Valentina's stepsister. She was very grateful when Lupita chose that exact moment to return with a wineglass for Valentina and some more wine.

The three women sat outside and enjoyed the summer breeze and each other's company until it was time to go back inside as the rest of the guests were starting to arrive.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

During dinner Juliana had a hard time keeping herself from seeking out Valentina. The truth was she failed completely. Every now and then as she looked up towards where Valentina was sitting she caught the other woman looking back at her but in a wink of an eye she'd averted her eyes.

Valentina didn't know what was wrong with her, why couldn't she stop looking in Juliana's direction? A few times she noticed that Juliana was looking back at her and when their eyes met for a split second Valentina looked away quickly, hoping the other woman hadn't caught her staring at her.

By the time dessert was finished people had started to mingle, some were dancing and Juliana had walked back out to the garden to get some air. She was sitting in the garden swing with her head tilted back slightly, gently swinging back and forth while looking up at the beautiful evening sky.

"Hey..."

Juliana sat up and looked to her right, Valentina was standing beside the swing with two wineglasses in her hands.

"Are you okay?" Valentina asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just getting some air and then I kind of got stuck here in the swing. It's insanely relaxing." Juliana said and smiled.

Valentina smiled back and took a step closer to the swing.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked.

"No not at all." Juliana answered and gestured for Valentina to take a seat.

"I brought some wine if you want?" Valentina said tentatively.

"Thank you, I'd love some." Juliana said and took one glass from Valentina's outstretched hand.

Her fingers brushed over Valentina's and both women simultaneously looked at each other. Juliana knew she held Valentina's gaze for far too long but she couldn't look away. Valentina was feeling exactly the same yet she did nothing to break the spell they seemed to be under. The sound of someone calling Valentina's name brought the two women back to reality.

"Vale? Are you out here?" Both Juliana and Valentina looked over to the back porch and saw Lucho standing there, apparently a little tipsy.

"Yeah I'm here."

"Come back inside babe, I wanna dance with you."

"In a minute Lucho, I was just about to sit down and talk with Juliana. Go back inside, I'll be there in a while." Valentina said and wondered why she was feeling slightly irritated that her fiancé had interrupted them.

_Interrupted what exactly?_ She couldn't quite explain that part but she felt interrupted.

"Sorry about that." she said and sat down on the swing beside Juliana.

"It's fine." Juliana said, she had no idea why Valentina was apologizing.

"No need to apologize." she continued.

Valentina looked at her and smiled then looked down at the wineglass in her hand.

"It's a nice party." Juliana started.

"Yeah, they're really happy. I haven't seen my dad this happy since before my mom died."

"My mom calls me every week and for the past I don't know... 5 years or so, every call has started with how she'd never find anyone. She's made me promise her to look after her and take her out on trips when she's old and lonely." Juliana said and chuckled.

"So when she called and told me she was getting married, no one was happier than me." she continued.

"I can understand that. I never thought I'd see dad smile again, like really smile, the way he smiles when he looks at your mother."

Juliana looked up and met her eyes, she smiled.

"I can tell he makes her really happy, he seems like a really nice guy."

"He is and I'm so glad he met Lupita, they really are perfect for each other." Valentina said and smiled warmly at the other woman.

"I'll drink to that." Juliana said and clinked their glasses together.

"So, Juliana Valdés, what do you do for a living?" Valentina asked and put her left arm up on the backrest and turned slightly towards Juliana.

"I'm a fashion designer." Juliana said and took another sip of her wine.

"A fashion designer? Impressive!” Valentina said with a smile.

"It's not that impressive, but I love it. It's been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid and I still can't believe I get payed for it now" Juliana said with a chuckle.

"Anyway, what about you Valentina Carvajal? What do you do?"

"I'm a journalist.” Valentina said and finished the last of her wine.

“That sounds interesting” Juliana said sincerely.

“It's really not that interesting, I've been doing it for a couple of years and yes, parts of the job can definitely be interesting. But I don't know, I don't think I want to do this for the rest of my life” Valentina confessed.

“No? Is there something else you have in mind?” Juliana wondered.

“I don't know, but I've always loved photography” Valentina replied.

“I think you should go for it, life is too short to be stuck doing something you don't want to do anymore” Juliana said and finished the last of her wine too.

Valentina looked at the other woman and found herself being so intrigued by her. She was fascinated by the way she talked and her whole appearance really. She found that she just wanted to know more about her.

"Do you want some more wine?” she asked when she noticed Juliana's empty glass.

“Yeah that would be nice” Juliana said and smiled.

“Okay, I'll be right back." Valentina got up from the swing and went back to the house. The engagement party was in full bloom and people seemed to be having a great time. But Valentina only wanted to return to the backyard to continue the conversation with the daughter of her dad's fiancée.

Juliana smiled when Valentina returned with fresh drinks and reclaimed her seat next to her on the garden swing.

“Thanks” she said and took the drink Valentina offered.

"Tell me more about yourself." Valentina put her legs up on the swing and turned so she was facing the other woman as she took a sip of her drink.

"What do you wanna know?" Juliana asked and put her elbow up on the backrest and put her hand behind her neck and rubbed it slowly as she turned towards Valentina.

"I don't know." she pondered for a while.

__Do I go there? No. Yes, why not? She said she was out..._ _

"When did you realize you were gay?" Valentina said softly, hoping that she wasn't too blunt.

"Wow, you just jump straight to it don't you?" Juliana said playfully and Valentina was relieved she hadn't overstepped any boundary.

"Yep, I'm pretty straightforward." Valentina said and winked. Juliana laughed.

"Indeed you are. But okay. I think somewhere deep down inside I always knew I was gay but it wasn't until my first year in college that I actually admitted it to myself. When I finally realized who I was it actually wasn't a hard thing for me to accept. I just felt so relieved that there wasn't any more confusion, it was like all the pieces of the puzzle finally fitted together. I called my mother the morning after the new realization had hit me. My mom and I have always been close, I'm an only child and for as long as I can remember I've turned to her first with my problems and she's always helped me solve them. So calling her to tell her I was gay wasn't something I dreaded. I knew she'd be okay with it and the first thing she said to me when I told her was that she'd always love me no matter what and that she'd thought I would've called her sooner to tell her this news." Juliana chuckled.

"She already knew?" Valentina wondered.

"Yes, she'd known for years and the second thing she said was that a woman she worked with had a gay daughter and that she would arrange for us to meet. It took me a while to get out of that one."

Valentina laughed, amazed by this woman. You'd think coming out to your parent would be the hardest thing you'd ever do but luckily there were stories that showed the complete opposite.

"I'm so looking forward to getting to know your mother more, she sounds like quite a remarkable woman." Valentina said sincerely.

"That she is." Juliana said with a smile starting to really feel the effect of the wine now.

"So, what happened that made you come to the realization that you were actually gay?" Valentina wondered.

"I had always found women attractive but never thought anything more about it, I had boyfriends in high school but it never felt right being with them. It wasn't until I got a roommate that first semester in college that it hit me. The moment I saw her she literally took my breath away, she was ridiculously beautiful and so nice. Anyway, she became my roommate and we got along great. We hung out every day after our classes had finished and went out to clubs together. It was after a night out with maybe a few too many tequila shots that we ended up kissing when we got back to our room. We'd been touching and flirting the entire evening but I was still a bit shocked when she kissed me, then as I kissed her back everything just fell into place and I realized I liked women."

Valentina listened intently.

"She was my first with, well everything regarding dating a girl. We dated for a year then she got a scholarship and had to transfer to another college. We tried the whole long distance thing for a while but eventually it just sort of ended."

Valentina nodded and looked at the woman sitting beside her. She really was beautiful, there was no denying that and she was taken by surprise by how easy it was to like her. She felt completely comfortable in Juliana's presence and she'd only met her just a couple of hours ago. That wasn't something that happened often in Valentina's life, usually she was pretty reserved and it took a while for her to let somebody in. With Juliana though she felt like she'd already done that and it actually felt okay, more than okay actually.

They continued talking and completely forgot about time as they slowly got to know each other. Valentina told Juliana about her mother and how she passed away while Juliana listened intently. There was just something about this woman, she still couldn't pinpoint it but she found her intriguing and was drawn to her in a way that scared her a little.

They'd been interrupted again by Lucho who'd become pretty intoxicated and again requested a dance from his fiancée. Valentina had declined again telling him he was too drunk, if he'd sobered up she'd consider dancing with him later. The truth was she had no intention of leaving the swing and Juliana, she was enjoying talking to the other woman far too much. Juliana was glad Valentina choose to stay outside with her, she was having a great time in her company. She only left her briefly to go to the bathroom and get them some more wine.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

"So you have a sister and a brother? But they're not here right?" Juliana asked.

"Yes. Eva, my sister is on a business trip, she's always working so it's not a surprise that she couldn't make it tonight. Guille, my brother is in Costa Rica with his girlfriend on vacation.They will be here for the wedding though" Valentina explained.

"I see, well I'm looking forward to meet them. If they're anything like you I'm sure I'll like them." Juliana said and put her hand on Valentina's arm. The effect of the wine really started to make her say and do things that she'd normally wouldn't, especially not after only knowing the person in question for a couple of hours.

Valentina got a warm feeling inside her chest when she heard Juliana say that and for some reason her whole arm started to tingle from Juliana's touch. She looked up and met Juliana's eyes and suddenly it was like everything else around them disappeared. She no longer heard the sound of music and people talking from inside the house. All she heard was the sound of her own heart beating and it was beating a hell of a lot faster than it used to. All she could see was Juliana's deep brown eyes that were looking intensely at her and all she could feel were the feather light touches coming from Juliana's thumb as it slowly, excruciatingly slowly, moved back and forth over her arm.

Juliana had no idea what she was doing, her brain screamed at her to remove her hand from Valentina's arm but she just couldn't do it. It was as if her hand suddenly had turned into lead and it was physically impossible to remove it and why... _oh my God_  WHY was her thumb moving over that incredibly soft skin?

"Girls?"

A voice calling from the back porch brought them back to reality and Juliana carefully withdrew her hand. She dared to cast another glance at Valentina who met her eyes before they both turned their attention towards the back porch where Juliana's mother was standing.

"Yes mother?" Juliana called back.

Lupita left the porch and walked down to the girls on the swing.

"There you are, are you two planning on coming back inside anymore tonight or?" she asked jokingly.

Juliana quickly got up from the swing.

"Yes, as a matter of fact we were just on our way back inside. I believe Valentina has promised to dance with her fiancé." Juliana said not looking at Valentina.

Actually she really didn't want to go back inside but after the 'moment' she just had with Valentina she really needed to distance herself from the brunette a little before she would do something she definitely would regret.

"Well, sorry to disappoint sweetie but your fiancé has gone to bed, well he was carried to bed to be precise." Lupita explained and looked at Valentina.

"Great..." Valentina muttered as she got up as well.

"Most of the guests have started to leave. I've prepared some snacks in the kitchen if you two are hungry, you've been out here quite a while." Lupita said.

Juliana checked her watch and was surprised to see what time it was. They'd spent three hours outside in the garden swing, just talking. It sure hadn't felt like three hours.

"Wow, is it this late?" Valentina said surprised when she checked her phone for the time.

Juliana looked at her.

"Yeah, I totally lost track of time." she said.

"You and me both." Valentina said and smiled.

"I'm so glad you two are getting along so well." Lupita said brightly.

Juliana and Valentina glanced at each other but didn't say anything.

"Come on then, let's go inside and get something to eat shall we?"

Both women nodded and followed Lupita back into the house.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Juliana drank a large glass of water in the kitchen, she felt like maybe she'd had just a little too much wine for one evening and she should really start sobering up. Not that she was _ _that__ drunk but enough intoxicated for her own liking.  
As she put the glass down on the counter Valentina and Lupita walked into the kitchen and headed straight to the little snack buffet. Juliana joined them.

"This looks really good mom, I'm actually really hungry."

All three women took a seat by the kitchen table. Though it had been a wonderful party, Lupita was quite relieved that the party was over. She was really tired and her feet hurt from all the dancing, she couldn't wait to go to bed.

"Do you need any help cleaning up Lupita?" Valentina asked.

"Thanks for asking Valentina but it's really late so we'll deal with the cleaning up tomorrow. The last guests have left so let's just go to bed and then we'll handle the cleaning up in the morning." Lupita said and stifled a yawn.

"Sounds like a good idea. Why don't you head up to bed? Juliana and I can put the food away before we lock up and go to bed." Valentina suggested.

"I think I might take you up on that offer Valentina. Leon went up just a minute ago." Lupita said and smiled.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" she continued.

"Go to bed mom, we'll handle the rest." Juliana said and got up from her seat to give her mom a goodnight kiss on the cheek.

"Alright alright. See you tomorrow girls. Goodnight." Lupita said and hugged both women goodnight before she headed upstairs.

Juliana and Valentina started to put the food away in silence. Juliana couldn't help but think back to the moment they had in the swing. She glanced over at Valentina who was cleaning the counter and remembered how soft her skin was, all she wanted was to touch that skin again. She shook her head to get those thoughts out of her mind.

"Juliana, do you mind locking up?" Valentina asked.

"No, I'm on it." Juliana answered and left the kitchen.

The moment the door closed Valentina dropped the washcloth and put both hands on the counter and leaned on her arms as her head dropped. She took a deep breath, she had no idea what was happening and why she felt like there was a wave of new emotions going through her body. She sighed and picked up the washcloth and threw it in the sink before she decided to walk out to the dining room to see if there was anything left that needed to be put away.

At the same time Valentina reached for the door handle Juliana was coming back to the kitchen and when Valentina opened the door it took Juliana completely by surprise and she stumbled through the doorway straight into an equally surprised Valentina who managed to catch the tripping woman in her arms. Juliana had grasped Valentina's upper arms while the brunette held on to the shorter woman's waist. When the initial shock subsided and they looked up they realized their proximity. Their faces were mere inches apart and they could easily feel the other's breath coming out in short puffs.


	2. Chapter 2

Juliana swallowed hard as her eyes met Valentina's. Standing this close she could really see how incredibly blue her eyes were and how easy it would be to get completely lost in them. It took every ounce of willpower she had to take a step back and away from Valentina's arms. She took another step back to recompose their personal space. Valentina realized she'd been holding her breath and as Juliana backed away from her she slowly exhaled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were right outside the door." she said when the air returned to her lungs.

"It's okay, I didn't mean to stumble all over you." Juliana said afraid to meet piercing blue eyes again.

"It's okay..." Valentina didn't know what else to say.

"Well, I think I'm gonna go to bed." Juliana said.

"Yeah, me too." Valentina replied.

Juliana looked up and met Valentina's eyes again.

"See you tomorrow." Juliana said and turned to leave but stopped. Slowly she turned around again.

"I had a really nice time tonight. It was great talking to you." she just had to say it.

"Me too and I also enjoyed talking to you." Valentina replied and smiled warmly.

She wanted to give Juliana a hug goodnight but didn't know if she should but as Juliana looked up and met her eyes again she took a step closer and gently pulled the other woman in for a hug. Juliana was surprised by Valentina's actions but it only took her a split second to hug her back.

"Goodnight..." she whispered.

"Goodnight"

Valentina had only intended to give Juliana a quick hug but for some reason she still had her arms around the other woman. Both women silently realized that they'd hugged for way longer than a 'normal' hug between friends but still they didn't let go of each other. Valentina again felt a new wave of emotions running through her and honestly, it scared the hell out of her. She slowly started to pull away and Juliana instantly followed her lead and pulled back as well.

"See you tomorrow." Valentina repeated Juliana's previous words and walked out of the kitchen leaving a very confused and a little flustered Juliana behind.

"Yeah... see you tomorrow..." Juliana mumbled to herself as her mind tried to figure out just what the hell was happening.

She pulled her hands through her hair and then headed out to the guest house in the backyard where she'd be staying.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Valentina brushed her teeth before she walked into her and Lucho's room where her fiancé was snoring loudly. She crawled into bed and gave him a push so he would turn over and hopefully stop snoring but unfortunately the turning didn't help. She sighed and laid back down on her pillow, staring up at the ceiling.

Juliana undressed, brushed her teeth and crawled into bed hoping sleep would claim her quickly but she wasn't really surprised when it didn't. There were too many thoughts running through her mind for her to even think about falling asleep. She'd never met anyone that had made such a strong impression on her so fast before. She'd never met anyone like Valentina before...

Valentina couldn't sleep. The last time she looked at the digital clock on the nightstand was 5 minutes ago, 4.26 am was flashing back at her. She sighed and shoved her still snoring fiancé for the umpteenth time. His snoring wasn't the reason for her insomnia though, Juliana was. Her mind kept wandering back to when Juliana had touched her arm on the swing but mostly to the incident in the kitchen where Juliana literally stumbled into her arms. Her breath had caught in her throat and she'd felt all tingly. Then the goodnight hug... She really hadn't planned for it to be so long, it was definitely way longer than a quick hug between friends and  _definitely_  longer than a hug between two people who just met. Then there were all these new feelings that suddenly had appeared and they confused the hell out of her.

When Lucho begun snoring louder than ever that night, she'd had enough. She got out of the bed and put on a pair of sweat pants and a hoodie and walked downstairs. The kitchen clock showed 4.51 am. It was ridiculously early but she'd given up any chances of sleep for this night. She put on some coffee and walked over to the window fronting the back yard. Sitting in the garden swing with a large blanket wrapped around her was Juliana. When the coffee was done Valentina poured two large cups and walked out to the back yard. Juliana looked up when she heard the creaking from the back door and couldn't help but smile when she saw the reason for her insomnia walking towards her with two cups in her hands.

"Hey..." Valentina started.

"Hey"

"Coffee?" she asked.

"Oh yes please!"

Valentina smiled at Juliana's enthusiastic answer and handed her one cup.

"Can I join you?" she asked.

"Of course." Juliana answered and made space for the other woman on the swing.

"So you couldn't sleep either?" Juliana asked and took a small sip of the warm beverage, closing her eyes as the taste of coffee slipped down her throat.

" _God_  this is good. Thank you for this." Juliana said and took another sip.

Valentina smiled as she sipped on her own cup.

"You're welcome and no, I couldn't sleep either. Lucho is snoring like... I don't even know what to compare it with. Let's just say it's  _really_  loud."

Juliana chuckled.

"I gave up about half an hour ago and came out here hoping that maybe the swing would rock me to sleep eventually."

"Oh... I'm sorry, I can go back inside if you want to try and get some sleep." Valentina said and moved to get up from the swing.

"No!" Juliana said way too quickly.

"I-I mean, no. That's not what I meant, I've already given up on sleeping and it's morning now anyway so... Please stay..." Juliana said softly.

Valentina met her eyes and could only nod. Juliana gave her a small smile when she sat back on the swing. The morning air was a little chilly so Juliana offered a piece of her blanket to Valentina which she accepted.

"How long are you staying?" Valentina asked.

"I'm going back home in the afternoon." Juliana answered.

Valentina nodded and felt her chest tighten at the thought of not spending more time with Juliana. They've only just started to get to know each other.

"Are you and Lucho staying longer?"

"Yeah, we've got three weeks' vacation coming up so we'll be here for a couple of days." Valentina said.

"I work one more week then I have two weeks off. I can't wait." Juliana said and smiled.

Juliana really had the most infectious smile, Valentina couldn't help but smile back.

"Any vacation plans?" Valentina wondered.

"Not really, I'll probably spend a couple of days at mom's cabin but other than that I haven't made any direct plans." Juliana said and took a large gulp of coffee.

Their very easy conversation about anything and everything were starting to die down and slowly the effect of their lack of sleep started to take its toll. Juliana had sunk further down into the cushions of the swing and was now half-sitting, half-lying with her head on the large pillow she'd brought with her. She was very close to falling asleep, Valentina had already dozed off sitting, her head slightly tilted back. Seconds later Juliana was asleep as well.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Lupita was the first one up the next morning, or so she thought. It was a little after 8.30 am when she walked into the kitchen to put some coffee on. She was surprised to see that the coffee maker was already on and apparently the coffee was done as well.

"This is strange..." she mumbled.

Leon was still asleep and the rest of the house was quiet. She walked over to the window and peered out into the backyard and was very surprised with what she'd find there. Her daughter, sound asleep on the garden swing and her soon-to-be stepdaughter equally asleep with her head leaning against Juliana's shoulder. It wasn't a very large swing, definitely not suitable for a two-people-sleepover, not if you'd want to sleep somewhat comfortable. The positions of the two sleeping women would most definitely leave them with very sore necks so Lupita made her way out there to wake them up.

When she reached the sleeping women and saw the look of complete and utter peace on her daughter's face she contemplated whether she should let them sleep. She thought about it for a second but decided that they would probably be grateful for escaping a sore neck so she should probably wake them. Then she glanced over at the other sleeping woman who looked just as peaceful and decided to leave them be. She tiptoed back into the house and poured herself a cup of coffee.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

20 minutes later Juliana started to stir. She moved to stretch her arms but her right arm was stuck. She turned her head and warmth filled her body at the sight of Valentina sleeping against her right side with her head on Juliana's shoulder. Strands of beautiful light brown hair had fallen down on her face and before Juliana knew what she was doing her hand was moving towards Valentina's face and then she gently tucked soft curls behind her ear. The movement made Valentina stir and Juliana quickly removed her hand hoping the brunette hadn't noticed her previous actions. Valentina sat up slowly, stretched out her arms and yawned.

"I fell asleep.." she mumbled.

"Yeah... me too." Juliana said and also stretched her arms now that her right arm was no longer occupied.

Valentina turned and looked over at Juliana and it dawned on her that she'd been sleeping against Juliana's shoulder. She noticed a small damp patch on Juliana's sweater, on her shoulder where she had been asleep a minute ago and embarrassment filled her. She'd drooled on Juliana in her sleep.  _Oh my God let me die now..._

Her hands flew up to Juliana's shoulder and started to rub at the spot as if that miraculously would make the drool disappear. Juliana looked at Valentina questioningly.

"Valentina? What are-"

"I drooled on you in my sleep! I'm sooo sorry, I'm so embarrassed..." Valentina burst out while she frantically rubbed the spot on Juliana's sweater.

"Wait, what? Valentina?" Juliana grabbed Valentina's hands to stop her, she couldn't help but chuckle.

Valentina looked up and met her eyes.

"Hey... it's okay. Really, it's no biggie." Juliana said with a smile and couldn't help but melt a little over how cute Valentina was in that moment. She slowly released her hands.

"I'm really embarrassed..."

Juliana nudged her playfully.

"Really, it's okay. I take it you slept okay then?" Juliana said playfully which made Valentina nudge her back.

"Like you said, it's insanely relaxing."

Juliana laughed.

“Let's go back inside”

Lupita sat by the kitchen table sipping on a cup of coffee when her daughter and Valentina walked in.

“Oh, good morning mom” Juliana said, not expecting to see her there.

“Good morning” Lupita said and smiled.

“How long have you been up” Juliana asked.

“A while, was about to put on some coffee when I found it was already made. So, do you mind telling me why I found both of you sleeping in the swing this morning?" Lupita asked.

"I mean it's great that you two seem to get along so well already but surely your beds must be more comfortable than that garden swing?"

"I couldn't sleep last night so finally I gave up and brought my pillow and blanket to the swing, hoping I could get some sleep there. Then Valentina came outside a while after me and she couldn't sleep either so we just started talking and then, somehow we both fell asleep." Juliana explained as she poured herself a fresh cup of coffee.

"Do you want one?" she asked Valentina.

"Yes please." The taller woman answered.

The kitchen door opened and Leon entered followed by a very hung over looking Lucho. He walked up to Valentina and kissed her on the cheek.

"Morning babe." he said, Valentina flinched.

"God Lucho how much did you drink last night?"

He smelled like an alcohol distillery.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to drink that much it just sort of happened." Lucho tried to explain.

"Yeah well go take a shower and brush your teeth please." Valentina ordered.

"I've already brushed my teeth." Lucho said.

"Well, brush them again." she said and waved her hand in front of her nose to whisk away the smell of his old alcohol breath.

Lucho did what his fiancée asked him to and when he returned they all ate a huge brunch that Lupita had made, then they all helped clean up the house before they went outside to relax in the sun for a while. Valentina kept casting glances at Juliana who was taking a nap in the sun-lounger, she knew she should stop but she couldn't help herself.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

A couple of hours later Juliana put her bag in the trunk and walked back to the front porch where her mother, Leon, Valentina and Lucho was standing to say goodbye.

"It was so nice to finally meet you Juliana." Leon said and gave her a big hug.

"You too Leon" Juliana said as they parted.

Lucho stepped forward and gave Juliana a quick hug.

"Really nice to meet you Juliana, hopefully we'll see you again soon."

"Yeah, it was nice to meet you too Lucho. Take care."

Lupita gave her daughter a long hug.

"Call me when you get home."

"I will mom."

Valentina really wanted to say goodbye to Juliana alone but since neither of the other three made any attempt at moving she had to do it in front of them.

"Well, it's been so nice getting to know you. I hope we'll see each other soon." Valentina said and gave Juliana a small hug.

The moment she felt Juliana's arms around her she was certain that their hug would've been a hell of a lot longer if they'd been alone and she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed.

"Yes, I'm sure we will. Have mom give you my number so we can keep in touch." Juliana said.

"I'll do that."

Valentina walked back next to Lucho who put his arm around her. Juliana couldn't help but flinch when she saw it but shook it off quickly.

"Okay then, thank you so much for everything. I'd better get going but I'm sure we'll see each other soon." she said to everybody.

"Call you later mom, love you." Juliana said as she got into her car.

"Love you too honey. Drive safely!" Lupita said and waved as Juliana pulled out of the driveway and took off.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Juliana was exhausted as she entered her condo. She dropped her bag on the floor and threw herself on the couch. She picked up her phone from her jeans pocket and called her mother before she'd be too tired.

"Juliana! Are you at home?" Lupita said as she answered.

"Yes, I just got in. I'm beat so I'm just gonna grab something to eat and then head straight to bed. I just thought I'd call you first." Juliana said.

"I'm glad you're home safe. We'll talk more tomorrow, good night honey."

"Night mom."

Juliana put her phone down on the table and closed her eyes for a second. She was deadbeat. Luckily she had some frozen pizza in the freezer so she got up and threw one in the microwave before she'd become too tired to move. After she'd eaten she opened a beer and went back to the couch and slumped down. She turned on the TV with no real intention to watch anything, she was too tired. After a few minutes of zapping through every channel she turned the thing off and decided to go to bed. She could really use a good night's sleep after only getting a few hours of sleep last night, or rather this morning.

Her bed had never felt more comfortable. She checked the time, it wasn't that late but she didn't care. She closed her eyes and relaxed against the mattress and could feel she'd be asleep shortly. Just as she was about to doze off her phone beeped and she winced.

"God who is texting me now?" she growled as she picked up her phone to check her messages.

A number she didn't recognize had sent her a text message and her heart started to beat faster as she thought about who it might be. Her guess was right, it was Valentina.

****Hi Juliana. I hope I didn't wake you with this if you'd gone to sleep, your mom told me you were really tired. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I had a really nice time last night talking with you and again this morning. I usually don't make new friends very easy, it takes a lot to gain my trust and for me to let someone in but with you I feel like I've known you forever. It's so easy to talk to you and I feel really comfortable in your company. You're a very easy person to like Juliana Valdés and I just wanted you to know that. Sleep tight! / Valentina** **

Juliana had a huge smile on her face after she'd read Valentina's text. She just had to text her back before she'd go to sleep.

****You didn't wake me but I am dead tired :) Can't go to sleep without texting you back though :) I feel really comfortable in your company too and I also feel like I've known you forever. You're a very easy person to like too Valentina Carvajal.** **

She hit send and then started typing again

****I can't wait to see you again...** **

Her thumb hovered over the send button. She read the words on the screen again and again then deleted them. She really couldn't wait to see her again but she couldn't send that, could she? No, definitely not.

****Anyway, I'm gonna sleep now. Thanks for the text, talk again soon okay? Good night :)** **

She hit send. Seconds later Valentina answered.

****Definitely! Good night Juliana.** **

Juliana put her phone away and laid back down on her pillow. She fell asleep smiling.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Monday went by rather quickly, she left early for work and stopped by the grocery store on her way home. She made dinner and after she'd eaten she decided to call her mother.

"Juliana hi!" Lupita answered as she saw her daughter's name appear on the display.

"Hi mom."

"How was work?" Lupita asked.

"Same as always I guess. I really can't wait to get some time off though, I could really need it." Juliana said and sat down on the couch and rubbed her neck.

"Speaking about that, I've invited Valentina and Lucho to come with me and Leon to the cabin next weekend and wanted to ask if you would like to join us?" Lupita said.

"Yeah, of course I'll come, it sounds like fun!" Juliana said, not hesitating a second at the chance of seeing Valentina again.

"Lovely! However Leon and Lucho will only join us the first day, they're going on a fishing trip on Sunday with Leon's brother and a friend of Lucho's so they'll be gone a couple of days." Lupita explained.

"Okay, well should I bring anything with me when I come?" Juliana asked feeling utterly happy with the prospect of spending more time alone with Valentina without her boyfriend being there. Not that she didn't like Lucho, she did. He was a really nice guy but with him not being there, Valentina would be all hers.

_Now_ _ _that__ _sounded completely wrong_ , she thought the second that thought entered her mind. That was not what she'd meant. Of course Valentina wouldn't be hers in that sense of the word, just free to hang out with her more without having to be interrupted by her fiancé. That's all.

"Juliana? Are you still there?" Lupita wondered from the other side of the line. Juliana had spaced out thinking about Valentina and didn't hear her mother's reply to her question.

"Sorry mom, I kinda disappeared for a second. You were saying?"

"I said that no, you don't have to bring anything with you. When will you get there? Sometime on Saturday or?" Lupita wondered.

"Yeah, I work late on Friday otherwise I would have driven up to the lake straight after work but I'll leave early Saturday instead." Juliana answered.

"We'll be there when you arrive. I gotta go but we'll talk some more later this week. Love you honey." Lupita said.

"Love you too mom. Bye" Juliana said and hung up.

She put her phone down beside her on the couch and thought about the upcoming weekend. She couldn't help but feel a tingling sensation in her stomach just thinking about spending time with Valentina again. She hoped the rest of the week would go by quickly.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Never had a Friday evening felt so good. She'd picked up some takeaway food on her way home and now she was watching a comedy and sipping on her second glass of wine. Her bag was already packed and she couldn't wait to go to the cabin tomorrow. Her phone beeped, indicating she'd received a new text message. She smiled when she saw who it was from.

****This place is amazing! I could totally live here. I'm sitting on the pier with my feet in the water right now, it's lovely! Can't wait for you to get here tomorrow and show me around :) V** **

Juliana's heart jumped in her chest as she re-read the text. The  ** _Can't wait for you to get here tomorrow and show me around_** part really stuck with her and she briefly thought that if she hadn't had those couple of glasses of wine she would've jumped in her car and started driving to the cabin tonight. She started typing back:

****Yes it is quite a place, though there are a few places around there that's even more impressive ;)** **

Valentina's reply came quickly:

****There is? Well you're gonna show me all of them :)** **

Juliana smiled as she read Valentina's reply. She started typing and hit send:

****Definitely!** **

 

****Great :) I'll see you tomorrow then. Drive safely.** **

Juliana answered:

****I will. See you tomorrow Val.** **

Valentina put her phone back in her pocket and looked out over the water. She was really excited to spend the next couple of days in this place. Her thoughts wandered to Juliana and thinking about spending more time with her made her feel even more excited. Those thoughts were quickly pushed away though because she shouldn't feel this excited over spending more time with Juliana.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Juliana left early the next morning. After several hours behind the wheel she finally pulled off the main road and only had a few miles left before she'd reach the cabin. Every time she drove down the old dirt road that lead to the cabin she'd be filled with a sense of peace and calm. This time however, the peace and calm was replaced with something that could only be described as the complete opposite. Her heart was racing and her palms started to feel sweaty. Turning off the engine she took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself before she got out of the car. Her mother was already on her way to greet her.

"Hi honey! I'm so glad you're finally here!" Lupita said and pulled Juliana into a tight hug.

"Me too mom but you're kinda suffocating me here." Juliana said playfully.

Lupita released her daughter and smiled.

"Pssh, you're my daughter so I'm allowed to suffocate you with my hugs."

Juliana smiled back and grabbed her bag from the trunk.

"Where's everybody?" Juliana wondered. Mostly she wondered where Valentina was but she couldn't say that to her mother.

"Leon and Lucho are inside packing up for their fishing trip and Valentina went out for a run about thirty minutes ago." Lupita answered as she walked beside Juliana on their way up to the cabin.

Juliana nodded and looked around, this place really was something else. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes as the smell of the forest and lake filled her nostrils.

"God I've missed this place." she said as she exhaled.

"Are Valentina and Lucho staying in the cabin or in the boathouse?" Juliana wondered.

"In the cabin." Lupita answered.

"Great! I mean then the boathouse is free?"

"Yes the boathouse is free. I know how much you love it there so I put Valentina and Lucho in the guest room." Lupita told her.

Juliana smiled and bounced off towards the boathouse. It was located next to the pier and wasn't particularly large. Juliana and her mother had made a complete renovation of the place a couple of years ago. What originally was meant to be a place to store a boat had turned into a single room with white walls and wooden floor. The decoration was simple and bright, the only furniture the room held was a double bed, a rocking chair and an antique bedside table. It was simple but Juliana had fallen in love with it instantly and every time she visited the cabin she always stayed in the boathouse.

She opened the squeaking wooden door and stepped inside dropping her bag on the floor by the double bed. This was her haven and as she stepped towards the large landscape window and looked out over a glassy lake the peace and calm that had been nowhere to be found finally appeared. God she loved it here. She took a last lingering look at the beautiful landscape outside the window then walked back out and up to the cabin.


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing she saw when she entered the cabin was a mess of fishing gear spread all over the floor and Leon and Lucho in the middle of the mess trying to get somewhat organized.

"Packing's going great or?" she asked playfully.

The two men looked up.

"Juliana! Good to see you again!" Leon stepped out of the mess to give Juliana a hug.

Lucho had his hands full of spinners when he turned around.

"Nice to see you again Juliana, I'd give you a hug but..." he said with a smile holding out his hands to show Juliana the spinners. She smiled back.

"I'm good. So how long are you guys planning to be away on this fishing trip? A month?" Juliana said sarcastically with a joking smile.

Leon eyed the mess on the floor and could agree that it indeed looked like they were going to stay away for a long time.

"Though it may appear somewhat chaotic I assure you we have everything under control and no, we'll only be away for a couple of days." Leon started and put his arm around Juliana's shoulder.

"You see this right here-" he continued as he lead Juliana towards the pile of fishing gear with the intention of enlighten the novice woman of the wonderful world of fishing. Thankfully Lupita saw what was about to happen and immediately intervened.

"Leon honey, Juliana's had a long drive. I'm sure she'll love to hear your fishing stories another time isn't that right sweetie?" Lupita said as she put her hands on Juliana's shoulders and turned her daughter towards the kitchen.

"Thanks." Juliana mumbled as she let her mother lead her into the kitchen.

When they were out of earshot Lupita told her daughter that once you get Leon started on telling fishing stories, it's almost impossible to get him to stop.

"You know I love that man and everything about him but the whole fishing thing? Not so much." Lupita said and poured two cups of coffee.

Juliana chuckled and kissed her mother's cheek then grabbed one of the cups and sat down by the kitchen table.

"I'm gonna go sit outside for a while before the sun sets." Juliana said.

"You do that honey. I've already prepared dinner for later so go outside and relax for a while. I'd better go check on the fishermen." Lupita said and she rolled her eyes. Juliana laughed and shook her head.

Juliana walked closer to the lake and took a seat on the grass. She gazed out over the water and took a sip of her coffee when suddenly she heard something. Turning her gaze towards the forest her heart skipped a beat when she saw Valentina come running towards her, wearing a tight blue tank top and a pair of very short and very tight black running-shorts with her hair tied up in a high ponytail. The other woman made her way over to the brunette in the grass and Juliana swallowed hard when Valentina came closer, her mouth suddenly felt very dry. Slowly she got up from the grass just before Valentina reached her.

"Hi! I hoped you'd be here when I returned and here you are!" Valentina said panting but enthusiastic.

Juliana looked at the other woman and tried not to stare which turned out to be incredibly difficult as she noticed small beads of sweat running from her neck down between the swell of her breast. She shook her head quickly to compose herself.

"Yeah I got here a while ago. Mom just saved me from Leon's attempt at learning me all about fishing." Juliana said with a chuckle.

"Oh God! Be  _ _very__ grateful, once dad gets started talking about fishing it's almost impossible to get out." Valentina said and laughed.

Juliana looked at her and smiled. Valentina caught her eyes and held her gaze for a moment before she looked down at her shoes.

"I'd give you a hug but I'm all sweaty..." Valentina said looking up and meeting Juliana's eyes again.

She really wanted to give her a hug but she knew she was drenched in sweat and definitely didn't want Juliana to feel disgusted by her.

"I'm gonna hit the showers so I'll see you in a bit." She continued and took off towards the cabin before Juliana had a chance to respond.

"I don't mind..." Juliana mumbled while she watched Valentina's retreating form.

When Valentina had disappeared inside the cabin Juliana slumped down on the grass again as a wave of emotions washed over her. The peace and calm she'd managed to find earlier in the boathouse vanished completely the second she saw Valentina and she couldn't deny it any longer. She was attracted to the other woman but she also knew nothing could ever happen. Valentina was straight and also taken so the best, well the only thing to do, was to try and get these feelings out of her system and move on. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she tried to suppress those feelings and think about something else. It didn't work very well though, she didn't really want to admit it but she'd thought about the other woman the entire week and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't get her out of her head. It certainly didn't help the matter when Valentina appeared by her side mere ten minutes later, newly showered with her hair still wet and she smelled great.

"Hi." the other woman said and took a seat next to Juliana.

"Hi..." Juliana said back and met the other woman's eyes for a second.

"Did you have a good run?" she asked trying to keep a light conversation hoping it would avert her thoughts.

"Yeah, the nature here is amazing." Valentina said with a smile.

"It is. I love running up here." Juliana agreed.

"Maybe we could go for a run together some time?" Valentina asked.

"Sure, that would be great." Juliana said and smiled.

"If you think you can keep up?" she continued playfully and maybe a little flirtatious.

She couldn't help it, every conversation they had somehow ended up a little flirty and it wasn't just one sided. Though it was innocent, Valentina flirted back.

"The question is if  _ _you__ can keep up with me." Valentina countered.

Juliana turned towards the taller woman.

"Oh I think I'll manage that." Juliana answered.

"Really? Well I guess we'll see." Valentina said cocky.

Suddenly Lupita's voice called out to announce that dinner was ready. Valentina got up first and offered her hand to Juliana. The brunette hesitated for a second but couldn't come up with a valid excuse  _not_  to take Valentina's hand. So she did and the second their hands met Juliana's whole arm tingled. Valentina pulled the other woman up on her feet but didn't let go of her hand and ended up way closer to the shorter woman than she expected when she offered to help her up. She had no idea why she was still holding on to Juliana's hand but she just couldn't let it go. Juliana looked from their joined hands to Valentina's eyes, my God was she beautiful and her eyes... she'd never seen such beautiful eyes. Valentina couldn't look away from Juliana's deep dark brown eyes either, she found them captivating. Juliana felt confused by Valentina's actions, it certainly didn't help her inner battle with the feelings she was trying to shake having the other woman this close. Valentina knew there was definitely no need to hold on to Juliana's hand once the shorter woman got up on her feet, yet she didn't let it go.

"So... maybe we should go back inside?..." Juliana had no idea where she found the willpower to say that but it helped ease them out of the situation they found themselves in.

Valentina slowly dropped Juliana's hand and though Juliana instantly missed the contact she was relieved because it gave them a chance to distance themselves from each other and that was definitely necessary at that point.

"Yes, we'd better go." Valentina said and started to walk back towards the cabin.

Juliana took a couple of deep breaths and then followed the other woman.

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Juliana was pretty quiet during dinner, she cast a glance at Valentina occasionally but the other woman never held her gaze the few times their eyes met. Lupita noticed that her daughter was unusually quiet but figured she was tired from the long drive.

After dinner they all had a drink in the living room which now actually looked like a living room again. Leon and Lucho had finished their packing and the earlier mess was gone. Juliana sat down in the arm chair in front of the open fire and sipped on her drink. Valentina sat next to Lucho on the couch and half listened to Lucho and Leon's conversation about their fishing trip. So many thoughts were going through her mind and they didn't make any sense. She looked over at Juliana who seemed to be deep in thought.

Thinking about something else other than Valentina proved to be almost impossible, especially after their moment outside earlier. She'd spent not even three full days with the other woman and yet she was all she could think about. It was crazy, that was the only thing she knew for certain and she needed to get over this, whatever the hell it was. Getting up from the chair she told everybody that she was tired from the drive and had decided to go to bed.

"Leon, Lucho, I take it you guys leave early tomorrow morning so have a great trip." she said.

"Thank you Juliana, I'm sure we will. See you in a couple of days." Leon said with a warm smile.

"Good night everyone." Juliana said and walked out.

Once inside the boathouse she undressed and brushed her teeth quickly then crashed down onto the bed and hoped sleep would claim her quickly.

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"Well, I think I'm gonna turn in too, we've got an early morning tomorrow." Lucho said.

"What about you babe, are you coming?" he asked Valentina.

"In a minute, you go ahead." she answered.

"Okay, goodnight Lupita, Leon." he said and kissed Valentina's cheek.

"Good night Lucho." they said in unison.

Leon stayed up a little while longer and when he decided to go to bed, Lupita followed him. Valentina had moved to the arm chair where Juliana sat earlier and was now looking into the crackling fire. She sat in front of the fire until it died down then she joined her fiancé in bed. He was already asleep when she crawled beneath the covers and she found herself feeling grateful for that.

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Leon and Lucho left early the following morning. Valentina was up before Lupita, she hadn't slept much last night. Thankfully the guys had made some coffee before they left so she poured herself a large cup of coffee and brought it outside as she sat down in a chair on the porch. She was sipping her coffee somewhat lost in thought when Lupita joined her on the porch.

"Oh what a lovely morning, looks like we'll have a great day today." Lupita said cheerfully.

"Yeah, looks like it." Valentina replied.

"How long have you been up?" Lupita asked.

"About an hour or so." Valentina answered.

"Oh okay. Have you had any breakfast?"

"Just coffee."

"Well, I for one am starving. I'll go fix something in the kitchen, you stay here and enjoy the morning sun, I'll let you know when it's finished. I'm sure Juliana will be up soon too." Lupita said and headed back inside.

Valentina finished her coffee and put the cup down on the table beside her. When she looked up she saw that Juliana was walking up towards the cabin. Suddenly her heart started to beat faster and as Juliana walked up the stairs she was certain it would jump out of her chest at any second.

"Morning." Juliana said and sat down in the chair on the opposite side.

"Morning..." Valentina said back and watched the other woman rub her eyes, apparently still pretty sleepy.

Juliana noticed Valentina's cup on the table and was instantly filled with an urgent need for coffee.

"Please say there's some coffee left?"

"I think there's still some in the coffeepot inside." Valentina answered.

She couldn't help but laugh when the other woman almost sprinted into the cabin. A moment later she returned sipping on a large cup of coffee, looking very content.

"I take it there was still some left?" she said and smiled.

"Yes, thank God!" Juliana sighed.

"I can't function properly if I don't get coffee first thing when I wake up." she continued.

"Yeah I'm the same" Valentina said with a small chuckle.

"So... Did you sleep well?" the taller woman continued.

"Yeah, I slept okay." Juliana answered but she hadn't really slept that well, thoughts of the other woman had kept her awake.

Juliana looked up from her cup and met Valentina's eyes. It was something about the way Valentina looked at her...it made her heart beat faster but it also made her feel so confused. Before she could question it any further, Lupita showed up at the door to announce that breakfast was ready. 

They had a very nice breakfast with lots of laughter and the awkwardness they both felt last night, and to some extent this morning, had fortunately disappeared. Lupita was thrilled to spend the next couple of days with just the girls. Since the day turned out brilliant Lupita suggested they spend the day by the lake. Both Juliana and Valentina thought it was a great idea but then it dawned on Juliana that spending a day by the lake would mean spending a day in a bikini. Not that she had a problem with that, the problem was that Valentina would probably also wear a bikini and  _ _that__ she had a problem with. From what she saw yesterday when Valentina was in her minimal running gear, the other woman had an amazing body and just the thought of seeing her in even less clothing than that made her palms start to sweat.

She helped clear the table then went back to the boat house to get changed. Standing in front of the mirror she inspected her outfit for the umpteenth time, she'd changed bikinis so many times she'd lost count. She couldn't decide if she should wear her black or red bikini but then realized she was being completely ridiculous. They were just going to spend the day by the lake, swimming and enjoying the sun. Taking one last look at the mirror she adjusted her black halter neck bikini top before she stepped away from the mirror, grabbed a towel and headed down to the lake.

She was the first one there so she threw her towel on one of the two sun loungers that stood close to the water's edge and started to wade out in the water. The sun seemed to show no mercy, she squinted up at the sky but there was not a cloud as far as the eye could see. When the water reached her waist she threw herself forward and dived down under the surface. It was so refreshing and it really cooled her off. Swimming around for a while she emerged from the water just as her mother and Valentina made their way down to the lake.

Valentina was walking half a step behind Lupita and was very thankful for that when her eyes fell on a dripping wet Juliana that was wading towards them and suddenly she halted. She swallowed hard as drops of water trickled down Juliana's very toned body, Valentina couldn't stop looking at her. She was thankful Lupita brought her out of her admiration spell and told her to bring her the picnic basket she was carrying.

Juliana dried herself with the towel, trying desperately to focus on anything but the tall woman who was wearing a blue bikini and looked beyond gorgeous. The color of the swim wear really emphasized her eyes which looked even bluer. God she was so beautiful and Juliana didn't know how much longer she could pretend she wasn't insanely attracted to her.

_It's gonna be a long day..._

"How was the water?" Valentina asked as she took a seat in the lounger next to Juliana.

"It was great! So refreshing." Juliana answered as she toweled her hair.

"In that case I think I'll follow your lead." Valentina said and walked down to the water and dived right in.

"Go for it." Juliana replied just before Valentina disappeared below the surface.

"God the water is lovely!" she called out when she resurfaced.

"I think I'll stay here for the rest of the day." she said and floated around on her back.

Lupita stood knee deep in the water.

"I don't know, isn't it a bit cold?" she said.

"Cold? It's lovely! Come on Lupita!" Valentina encouraged.

"Good luck with that. Mom has not let the water reach higher than her thighs for the past eight years at least. If you look up the word 'aqua-phobia" you'll find a picture of mom." Juliana chuckled.

Lupita turned and gave her daughter a stern look.

"I do  ** _not_** have a phobia for water young lady!" Lupita stated.

"I simply don't enjoy swimming as much as I did in my younger years." she continued.

"Uh huh, and it's got nothing to do with the fact that there's fish in the water that may accidentally brush your legs?" Juliana countered.

"So I don't like fish, except when they're on my plate, big deal? Now be quiet and let me enjoy my wading. It's more than enough for me." Lupita said.

Valentina couldn't help but laugh, so did Juliana.

"So you don't like fish? Well you sure did pick the right guy to marry then." Valentina laughed.

"That's what I said!" Juliana said.

Lupita looked at her laughing daughter, then at her fiance's laughing daughter and shook her head.

"Don't you start as well Valentina Carvajal. I love your father and I know he loves fishing and that's great. He's perfectly free to have his own interests,  ** _all_** our interest doesn't have to be the same." Lupita said defensive.

"Uh oh,  _Valentina Carvajal,_ watch out she's using your full name now." Juliana said and winked.

Lupita looked at her daughter and shook her head, then burst out laughing as well.

"You're hopeless!" she said to her daughter while she continued laughing and stepped out of the water.

Valentina also got up from the water and suddenly Juliana's laughter died down and her heart was starting to beat abnormally fast. She swallowed hard and tried not to stare at the breathtaking woman but failed miserably. She had an amazing body and Juliana just couldn't tear her eyes away.

"Do you want something to drink Juliana?" Lupita asked and it brought Juliana back to reality.

"Uh, what? Drink, y-yes please." Juliana stuttered.

Lupita poured Juliana a glass of ice tea and handed it over, completely oblivious to her daughter's ogling of her soon to be step-daughter.

Valentina didn't bother to dry herself, she figured the scorching sun would handle that. She just sat down in the lounger next to Juliana who was really struggling with keeping her focus on the glass in her hands. Lupita handed a glass to Valentina as well who gratefully accepted.

The rest of the afternoon the three women just enjoyed the sun, talked and laughed, both Juliana and Valentina took another swim while Lupita never left the lounger. It wasn't until their stomachs started to rumble that they realized how late it was and that they probably should get some dinner started.

Juliana returned to the boathouse to change while Lupita and Valentina headed back up to the cabin.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Juliana and Valentina were in the kitchen preparing the ingredients for dinner when Lupita walked in, not looking very well.

"Are you okay?" Valentina asked.

“I think the sun really got to me today, I'm gonna drink some more water and then take a cool shower. But I think I need to go lay down after, so you girls go ahead and eat without me. I'll just get something later." Lupita said and excused herself.

The dinner was really nice, they had a nice and easy conversation and both felt quite relaxed in each other's company.

"I feel really bad for your mother, I hope she'll feel better tomorrow"

“Yeah some water and rest and she'll be back to normal again I'm sure. The sun was really brutal today” Juliana said.

"You seem to have a very good relationship with you mom." Valentina continued, her smile somewhat fading.

"Yeah, I guess we're pretty close." Juliana said and looked at Valentina who was looking down at the table.

"Hey... are you okay?" she asked and reached over to put her hand on top of Valentina's.

Valentina looked up and gave the brunette a small smile, her eyes looked sad though.

"Yeah... I'm okay. It's just... sometimes I really miss not having my mom around, you know?"

Juliana gave her hand a gentle squeeze and smiled warmly.

"I understand that you miss her and it's okay to be sad." Juliana said softly. Valentina nodded.

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way and I've only known your mother for a short time, but I already feel so close to her. I don't mean that I think of her as a mother but she just makes me feel so welcomed and she's so caring. She's already treating me like a daughter." Valentina said and looked up to meet Juliana's eyes.

"That's my mom. She's always been like that, I actually think she was more in love with my ex-girlfriend than I was." Juliana said jokingly which made the other woman chuckle and the short moment of sadness seemed to vanish.

"I was planning on going for a walk, why don't you come with me?" Juliana asked and released Valentina's hand.

"Yeah, that would be really nice." Valentina said.

"Great. I'll go tell mom we're going outside for a while, okay?" Juliana said and left the kitchen.

Valentina put the leftover food in the fridge and put their plates in the sink then grabbed her sandals and waited for Juliana outside.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a really lovely evening, the temperature had dropped some but it was still very warm, just some light breezes which was welcomed. Valentina sat on the steps waiting for Juliana to come out. A moment later the dark haired woman joined her and took a seat next to her.

"Hey."

"Hey. Is your mom alright?" Valentina asked.

"Yep, a bit of a headache so she was going to get some sleep." Juliana replied.

"God, it's still so warm." Juliana continued, referring to the lovely weather.

"Yeah it's crazy but I'm definitely not complaining." Valentina said and smiled.

"Hey? Are you up for an evening swim?" Juliana asked suddenly.

"Oh yeah, I'm definitely up for that!" Valentina replied joyfully.

"Great. I'm gonna go change, meet you back here in five?"

Valentina nodded and went back inside to change as well as Juliana headed down to the boathouse. Five minutes later they were good to go.

"Ready? There's a place I wanna show you, it's just a couple of minutes walk through the forest." Juliana said.

"Yes, I'm ready. Lead the way."

Juliana smiled and started walking, Valentina walked up beside her. They were quiet, both stealing glances of the other and Valentina felt another wave of these confusing feelings hit her when Juliana's hand accidentally brushed against hers, Juliana swallowed hard and closed her hand to a fist. It felt as if her skin got burnt from that brief touch of Valentina's hand and she started questioning if inviting Valentina for an evening swim really was a good idea.

They reached a small secluded beach a moment later and Valentina was taken aback by the sight.

"Juliana this place is amazing!" Valentina said in awe.

"I know, it's one of my favorite places here. If you want I can take you back here tomorrow, it's far more beautiful in the daylight." Juliana said.

"Yeah, I'd like that." Valentina said and smiled, still captivated by the place.

"So..." Juliana started as she begun to undress.

"I'm gonna check out the water." she continued.

Valentina just nodded as Juliana took her clothes off and stood before her in the same bikini she was wearing earlier down by the lake. Even though it was starting to get pretty dark outside she could still see every contour of Juliana's body and Valentina had a hard time tearing her eyes away.

"Are you coming?" Juliana asked and Valentina was brought back from her thoughts, blushing slightly.

"Yeah, I'm coming." she replied and took of her shorts and tank top, grateful for the lack of light as she was certain her cheeks were flushed.

She walked down to the water where Juliana was waiting. Stepping down into the water she was surprised by how warm the water was.

"God this is so nice" she said and immediately threw herself into the glassy lake.

Juliana followed suit and disappeared beneath the surface. The water was wonderful and as she surfaced again she saw that Valentina was a bit ahead of her, floating on her back looking completely content. Juliana swam up next to her and Valentina turned around in the water so she was facing the brunette as she felt her approach.

"This was a great idea!" Valentina said with a huge smile.

"I know, I'm full of good ideas." Juliana said cocky yet playfully, not really sure where she suddenly got this confidence from.

Valentina snorted.

"Full of yourself I'd say." she mocked.

Valentina was rewarded with a splash of water right in the face.

"You did  ** _not_** just do that..." Valentina replied with her eyes still closed.

"What? This?" Juliana said and splashed the other woman again.

Valentina gasped and before Juliana knew what happened Valentina had launched herself forward and pushed Juliana down below the surface. This triggered a big water fight with a lot of splashing and wrestling between the two women, both too engaged in the water fight to realize their proximity. It wasn't until Juliana had Valentina in a viselike grip and was splashing her face with water that the realization of how close they were dawned upon them. The splashing stopped and their laughter died down as Valentina turned in Juliana's arms and their eyes met. Both were panting from the exertion of the water fight. They were so close, Juliana caught herself looking down at Valentina's lips. She wanted to kiss her, God how she wanted to kiss her and as she looked up to find those piercing blue eyes again she noticed that Valentina's eyes were looking down at her own lips for just a second too, before they slowly wandered up to met dark brown. Valentina could hardly breathe, she thought her heart would jump out of her chest at any second. Juliana was so close, she could feel her breath on her own face and if she just tilted her head a little bit forward her lips would touch Juliana's and that thought both excited and scared the shit out of her.

Juliana was so close to kissing the other woman, her whole body screamed at her to close the short distance between them but somewhere in the back of her head a little voice was telling her that this was wrong. She should not be doing this and she needed to step away. Mustering all the strength she had she slowly released the woman in her arms and took a tentatively step back in the water.

"Maybe we should head back, it's getting kinda late." Juliana said.

"Yeah, you're right... w-we should get back..." Valentina said, her heart still racing.

Juliana gave her a small smile then walked out of the water and put on her shorts and t-shirt, not caring about the fact that they would be soaked through in a minute. She just wanted to get back and try and clear her head. Valentina walked up a minute later and she also didn't bother getting out of her wet bikini before putting on her clothes. She put the towel around her neck and looked over at Juliana who seemed ready to head back. They walked back through the forest in silence.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Valentina couldn't stop thinking about what almost happened between them. They'd been so close and if Juliana hadn't pulled back she was certain they would've kissed. Thinking about kissing Juliana did nothing to help calm her racing heart. She had wanted it, she wanted to kiss Juliana.

When they reached the edge of the forest and saw the cabin up ahead Juliana slowed down a little, she wanted to say something to make sure they were okay before they parted.

"Well, thanks for coming with me. It was nice, the water was wonderful." she started, not daring to look at Valentina who was a step behind her.

Valentina hardly registered what Juliana was saying, she was still thinking about kissing her and no matter how she tried the thought just wouldn't go away. Juliana continued walking and the cabin was coming closer and closer.

"Maybe tomorrow I can show you my favorite place, it's a little bit further but it's definitely worth the walk." Juliana continued completely unaware of the internal battle Valentina was struggling with a step behind her.

They would soon reach the cabin and Valentina had to stop them, she had to... She had no idea what she was doing when she gently grabbed Juliana's wrist. Juliana who had continued talking stopped when she felt Valentina's hand take hold of her. She swallowed hard and slowly turned around, Valentina didn't let go of her wrist and took a step closer to the brunette. Juliana breathed heavily when the taller woman moved even closer and her heart was beating so fast. Valentina looked from Juliana's eyes to her lips and continued to inch closer. Suddenly her nose brushed against Juliana's cheek and her whole body tingled at the touch. She tilted her head and then her lips touched Juliana's. It was a touch as light as a feather but when she felt Juliana gasp against her lips she moved even closer and captured Juliana's lower lip between her own. Juliana had no idea what was happening but when she felt Valentina's lips slowly move against her own she responded immediately. Parting her lips slightly she kissed her back gently, she couldn't believe this was happening and she didn't want it to end. She raised her free hand and entangled her fingers in Valentina's wet hair, then she moved to the back of her neck to pull her closer as she slowly deepened the kiss.

Valentina touched Juliana's upper lip with the tip of her tongue very tentatively as her free hand came up and cupped Juliana's cheek. Juliana shivered and parted her lips as her tongue slowly searched out Valentina's. A low moan escaped Valentina's mouth as her tongue met Juliana's for the first time, the hand that was holding Juliana's wrist tightened its hold. She tilted her head to the side and opened her mouth wider as her tongue slowly swirled around with Juliana's in the most passionate kiss she'd ever experienced. Juliana's head was spinning as they continued to kiss slowly, deeply and very passionate, she'd never been kissed like that.

Slowly the kiss ended and they parted. Both were short of breath and had their eyes closed. Valentina leaned her forehead against Juliana's while she tried to compose herself and let her brain caught up with what just happened.

"Val..." Juliana whispered and opened her eyes.

The other woman opened her eyes when Juliana whispered her name. When she met Juliana's dark brown eyes she panicked. She realized what they had just done, what she initiated, and she just panicked.

"Juliana...oh God... I-I... I'm sorry...I'm so... oh God..." she stuttered then took of running towards the cabin never looking back at Juliana who was calling out her name.

"Valentina! Val!" Juliana dragged her hands through her hair as she watched Valentina disappear inside the cabin.

Juliana walked back to the boathouse in a daze, she was beyond confused but she could still feel the touch and taste of Valentina on her lips. She lifted her hand and touched her still swollen lips. Valentina had kissed her, she had actually kissed her and though it most certainly would complicate everything she couldn't help but smile. Valentina had kissed her...

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Valentina ran straight to her room and closed the door then leaned against it.

_What just happened and what the hell did I just do?..._

To say she was confused was a huge understatement. She dragged her hand through her hair and walked over to the bed. Her shorts were wet from her damp bikini pants so she walked over to the bathroom and undressed then took a long cool shower to clear her head.

As she crawled beneath the covers and closed her eyes images of Juliana invaded her mind. She opened her eyes and shook her head trying to clear her thoughts but as she closed her eyes again Juliana was there, kissing her. She sighed and sat up, then glanced to her left to the empty spot where Lucho lied just the other night. Lucho... her fiancé, the man she was supposed to marry in a couple of months. He was nowhere near her thoughts as she kissed Juliana and now she felt beyond guilty for betraying him. She leaned back against the headboard and buried her face in her hands. How could she be so stupid, what the hell was she thinking? And why was kissing Juliana again all she could think about?

_How am I supposed to face her tomorrow?..._

Getting any sleep was most likely out of the question, there was no way she would be able to sleep...

Juliana was also lying sleepless on top of the covers on her bed. She had one arm tucked behind her neck and the other draped over her stomach. So many feelings were running through her body and the more she thought about what had happened between them the more messed up the whole situation felt. She knew she had to do something, they were kind of stuck together for another couple of days. Sure Juliana had her car so technically she could leave whenever but how would her leaving solve anything? It would probably have the opposite effect and confuse things even more. She sat up and put her feet on the floor and rubbed her hands over her face. Sighing she got up and walked over to the window and gazed out over the lake. The light from the moon reflected down on the dark water and gave the lake a somewhat mysterious glow. It was beautiful... so was Valentina... God she was so beautiful, and sweet and funny and...

"Perfect..." Juliana said softly.

_She's perfect for me... She's everything I've ever been looking for and she makes me feel things I've never felt before... She's also taken... She has a fiancé and is getting married but when she kissed me... when she kissed me... I know she felt something too..._

Valentina was still lying in bed very much awake when her phone suddenly beeped. Her heart started to beat faster before she even picked it up. She knew it was Juliana. She reached for the phone and swallowed hard when she saw she had one new message from Juliana Valdés. The intense pounding in her chest echoed in her ears and she threw the phone down on the bed. This wasn't something she was ready to deal with now, no definitely not! Still, a minute later she picked up the phone again and read the message:

****Are you awake?** **

She read those three words over and over again. Then typed back:

****Yes.** **

Juliana stared at the phone.

_She's awake... Of course she's awake... What do I say next?_

She cursed her own stupidity but since she'd made the first move, obviously without thinking about the second, she would have to push through.

_So what do I tell her? The truth or what I think she would want me to say?..._

Valentina waited impatiently for another message. It was like time stood still. After five very long minutes her phone beeped again:

****I know it's wrong in every way but I can't stop thinking about it...** **

She didn't need to specify 'it', they were both very aware of what she was referring to.  
Valentina didn't know how to respond to that. She sat with the phone in her hand and started to reply an answer but then deleted it.

Juliana's heart was beating really fast when she sat with her phone clutched in her hand. Her heart skipped a beat when it suddenly beeped indicating she had a new message.

****I can't stop thinking about it either...** **

Valentina thought her heart would jump out of her chest at any second, either that or she would have a heart attack because it could not be healthy for the heart to be beating like this. She couldn't believe that she'd just sent that text back to Juliana, that she couldn't stop thinking about the kiss either. Well it was definitely true but was it so wise to go there? She could very easily have sent something completely different, a lie. Why didn't she make something up or write that she was tired and that they could talk tomorrow? Why did she write and send that she couldn't stop thinking about it either? Could she actually deal with this tonight? She really had no idea but since they would have to spend the next day together with Juliana's mom they had to figure something out. Being all awkward around each other when Lupita was present would not go by unnoticed and she was _ _not__  ready to deal with that.

Her phone beeped again.

****I really need to talk to you. Can you come down to the boathouse? Please?** **


	5. Chapter 5

Juliana was fidgeting, she was wandering back and forth and her hands were playing with the hem of her t-shirt. She was so nervous and quite frankly scared to death. She had no idea what she was going to say when Valentina came,  _if_ she would actually show up...

_She must be freaking out, **I'm**  freaking out..._

One minute turned to five, fifteen minutes turned to half an hour and Valentina hadn't showed up.

_She's not coming... I should have realized that... God what do I do?..._  she stood by the window and dragged her hands through her hair when the squeaking of the old wooden door caught her attention and she spun around.

"Val...You came... I didn't think you would..." she said softly.

Valentina met her eyes for a split second than had to look away.

"Yeah... I didn't think I would either but then..." Valentina slowly looked up and met Juliana's eyes.

They looked at each other for a long time, both could see confusion and something else in the other's eyes. Juliana was the first to break the silence.

"You kissed me..." she said softly, that was definitely _**not**_ what she'd planned to say, it just came out.

Before Juliana's mind had registered what she was doing she'd taken a small step closer to the other woman who was still frozen to the spot by the door.

Valentina looked down. So many thoughts were running through her mind and not one of them made any sense. She didn't know what to say,  _yes I kissed you and it was amazing and all I can think about is kissing you again _.__  No she couldn't say that, she wasn't brave enough to say that. She looked up again and instantly met Juliana's warm brown gaze. She was slowly closing the distance between them and Valentina was so nervous she could hardly breathe.

Juliana couldn't stop moving closer to the taller woman, she was drawn to her, she wanted to touch her, to feel her close... She stopped right before she would invade Valentina's personal space and just continued gazing at her. She could tell the other woman was nervous, she was breathing short and rapidly and her chest was heaving. Juliana slowly raised her right hand and softly touched the side of Valentina's face with her fingertips. Valentina closed her eyes at the touch and Juliana moved closer tilting her head forward until her forehead touched the other woman's.

Valentina thought she would faint, she couldn't feel this way...she couldn't... When Juliana's nose gently brushed against her own and her lips were trying to seek out Valentina's again she pushed the other woman away gently and walked pass her over to the window.

She rubbed her hands over her face trying desperately to make sense out of something. She shouldn't be here, she had a fiancé who was a great guy and she was getting married... She shouldn't be here... but she didn't want to leave...

Juliana observed the other woman for a minute then slowly walked over to her, coming up behind her she tentatively put her hands on Valentina's waist and slowly lent down to nuzzle her nose against her shoulder. Juliana had no idea what she was doing, it was as if all rational thoughts had vaporized the second Valentina walked into the boathouse. Juliana brushed Valentina's long hair to the side and placed a soft kiss on the side of Valentina's neck which made the taller woman's whole body shiver and she could feel goose bumps all over her arms. Her eyes closed involuntary and she breathed heavily.

"Juls... We can't do this...we shouldn't do this... we..." she whispered and stepped out of Juliana's embrace.

Taking a step back she turned and looked at the other woman.

"Our parents are going to get married and we'll be sisters, well stepsisters, and I'm getting married, we shouldn't-"

Juliana didn't buy that excuse for one minute, she knew there was something between them, she could feel it. She took a step closer.

"I don't want us to be referred to as 'sisters' because everything about that sounds wrong, and I don't think you want that either... " she challenged.

Valentina didn't speak but the answer was written all over her face.

"Val...You kissed me." she continued and took another step closer.

Valentina swallowed hard but still didn't say anything so Juliana continued talking.

"I know we've just known each other for a short time and that this is absolutely crazy but ever since the engagement party... I haven't been able to stop thinking about you..." she whispered the last part and moved even closer, definitely invading Valentina's personal space.

"I think about you all the time..." she raised her hand and touched Valentina's face gently as she looked deep into her blue eyes before they closed.

Valentina could feel Juliana's breath coming out in small puffs on her face and suddenly her heart raced even more, how that even was possible she had no idea. She opened her eyes slowly and the way Juliana looked at her made all her defenses come tumbling down. Before she realized what she was doing she closed the small distance between them... when her lips touched Juliana's for the second time it was like everything fell into place. She knew somewhere in the back of her mind that later she would deny ever confessing to that but right now all she could feel was Juliana's lips moving together with hers and then, nothing else mattered.

Juliana cupped her face with both hands and pulled her in even closer. Tilting her head to the side she deepened the kiss, flicking the tip of her tongue against Valentina's upper lip and was instantly met with Valentina's warm soft tongue that desperately searched out hers. Juliana moved her hands down from Valentina's face and slowly down the front, squeezing her breasts lightly as she passed. Valentina gasped at the brief touch and instantly craved more. Juliana was on fire, she had never felt like this before and she couldn't get enough of the woman in her arms. She moved her hands under the hem of Valentina's hoodie and then under her t-shirt and moved quickly up her torso till she reached her goal. Juliana was surprised to find that the other woman wasn't wearing a bra and moaned into Valentina's mouth when her hands touched bare skin.

When Juliana's hands cupped her naked breasts, Valentina had to pull away from Juliana's amazing lips to catch her breath. Juliana grazed her thumbs over Valentina's erect nipples and started to place open mouth kisses on her jaw and then down to her neck where she started to suck on the soft skin. Valentina gasped and took hold of Juliana's waist, grasping it tightly. Juliana removed her hands and Valentina instantly missed the contact but before she knew what was happening Juliana had pulled the hoodie and t-shirt over her head and her mouth was now sucking and licking on Valentina's right nipple. The sensation that filled her body was something Valentina had never experienced before and she'd never in her life been more turned on.

She tried to focus a little, which was extremely hard when Juliana's mouth moved to her other breast to give it the same attention. She moved her hands to Juliana's hair and pulled her up so she could kiss her again. She pushed her tongue inside Juliana's mouth and moaned when Juliana's tongue once again found hers. Juliana moved one hand to the back of Valentina's neck and the other found her breast again. Valentina fumbled with Juliana's t-shirt, wanting it off which Juliana noticed and raised her arms to assist. Valentina grabbed the hem of Juliana's t-shirt and pulled it over her head and threw the garment on the floor before capturing her lips again. Nervous hands then fumbled with the clasp on Juliana's bra and just as Juliana was about to assist, the other woman succeeded with her mission and slowly pulled the straps down Juliana's shoulders until the item fell to the floor.

Juliana wrapped her arms around the taller woman and pulled their bodies together, she gasped when Valentina's naked chest collided with her own and when their breasts came together Juliana didn't know how much more she could take. Turning them slightly she maneuvered them over to the bed, never breaking the kiss that had now escalated. When they reached the bed she lowered Valentina down gently and then covered her body with her own. She kissed the side of her mouth, then her jaw and down to her neck where she sucked and nibbled on the soft skin before she reached Valentina's shoulder where she accidentally left a distinct mark. Maybe that wasn't the most brilliant idea but she really wasn't thinking clearly.

Leaving her shoulder she trailed kisses down her collarbone and then down her chest where she kissed and licked around each nipple before she continued down, kissing Valentina's flat stomach. Looking up she saw the other woman's chest rise and fall with each breath. She grabbed the hem of Valentina's sweat pants and pulled them down her body along with her underwear. Moving back up, she found Valentina's mouth again and kissed her passionately before trailing kisses down her body again.

Valentina was panting violently when Juliana's tongue found the wetness between her legs. She grasped the bed sheets and opened her legs wider when she felt the tip of Juliana's tongue swirl around her clit and then move down between her folds. Gasping loudly she arched her back and threw her head back at the sensation Juliana was giving her.

Juliana kissed her way up Valentina's body again, replacing her tongue with her fingers. She just had to kiss her. Valentina moaned into Juliana's mouth when she felt Juliana slip inside her. Using two fingers she moved in and out of Valentina's core rubbing her clit with the palm of her hand with each stroke. Valentina was so close but she wanted Juliana to feel what she was feeling. Reaching down she slipped her hand inside Juliana's shorts. She had no idea what she was doing but she found Juliana's most sensitive spot and started to rub small circles over the harden nub. Judging from the sound Juliana was making she was doing something right, it was hard to focus when Juliana's fingers were working inside her and she knew she wouldn't last long.

Juliana had a hard time focusing when Valentina touched her like this but she continued to thrust her fingers in and out of Valentina's wet core while she was rocking her own hips hard against Valentina's hand. Feeling her own orgasm starting to build up she curled her fingers and suddenly the other woman's walls tightened around her fingers and she heard her gasp heavily. Seconds later Juliana slumped down on top of Valentina as her own orgasm rushed through her. She was panting against Valentina's neck while she placed small open mouth kisses on her skin. Valentina had her eyes closed as she tried to compose herself. She gasped when Juliana slowly pulled her fingers out of her core. The brunette continued to place soft kisses along Valentina's jaw and up to the corner of her mouth. She smiled against Valentina's skin when the woman beneath her wrapped her arms around her and held her tight.

After a while of just holding each other they rearranged their positions so Juliana was lying behind Valentina with an arm draped over her stomach, Valentina slowly reached for her hand before they both drifted off.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Valentina was the first one to wake up the next morning by rays of light shining in through the window. It took a second for her to realize where she was and then everything dawned on her. She was certain it had all been a dream but now... waking up naked in Juliana's bed in Juliana's arms certainly brought her back to reality. She should be freaking out but oddly enough she wasn't. Juliana's arm was still draped protectively over her stomach and her own hand was resting on top of Juliana's arm. She was so warm and her skin was so soft. Slowly she started to trace invisible patterns on Juliana's skin, dragging her fingertips up and down her forearm. Juliana started to stir behind her and Valentina slowly turned around so she was facing the brunette. She was so beautiful, Valentina couldn't help herself, she reached out her hand and pushed a few stray strands of hair behind Juliana's ear then let her hand rest on the side of her neck as she slowly entangled her fingers in soft dark brown hair.

"I thought you would be gone when I woke up..." Juliana said softly as she slowly opened her eyes.

Meeting piercing blue ones her heart skipped a beat.

"I thought so too..." Valentina admitted as she slowly stroked Juliana's hair.

"This is crazy..." she whispered.

Her blue eyes were filled with fear over what they had done and she was terrified to even think about the consequences. Juliana put a hand on her cheek and moved her thumb slowly back and forth over her soft skin.

"I know... Do... Do you regret it?" Juliana whispered tentatively, terrified of what the other woman would answer.

Valentina looked deep into Juliana's dark eyes and thought about what she'd just been asked. Slowly she shook her head and Juliana released a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"I just... I don't know what to do, I'm so confused and and... I just..." she sighed and pulled away, wrapping a sheet around her body she sat up on the edge of the bed with her back turned towards Juliana.

"I just don't know Juls..." she said dejected.

Juliana's heart sank, she crawled up behind the other woman and wrapped her arms around her waist. Valentina sighed and leaned back into Juliana's embrace for a moment but then removed the brunette's arms from around her waist and stood up to gather her clothes. Juliana held back her tears as she watched Valentina get dressed. They shouldn't have let things go this far, they shouldn't have...

When Valentina had dressed she turned around and met Juliana's eyes and it hurt to see them so filled with pain.

"I better get back to the cabin before Lupita wakes up." she said. Juliana looked down on her hands and nodded slowly.

Valentina looked at her, she wanted to stay. She wanted to stay in Juliana's arms but she wasn't ready to deal with the consequences of that so going back to the cabin was her only option. She lifted her hand and pushed the door handle down then pushed the door open. A couple of tears rolled down Juliana's cheeks when she heard the squeaking of the old door but she wiped them away quickly, not wanting Valentina to see her cry and she didn't want to cry, but everything just felt so emotional. Valentina had stopped in the doorway, one foot out of the door and her hand still on the handle. Her heart was beating so fast, her mind was telling her to keep walking back to the cabin but her heart was begging her to stay. She turned around and as her eyes found Juliana she felt a pang in her heart. The other woman sat on the edge of the bed, still looking down at her hands and Valentina noticed that a few tears escaped Juliana's eyes which the brunette quickly wiped away.

Juliana didn't notice that Valentina was still there, standing by the door looking at her. Valentina couldn't take it, she walked over to Juliana and cupped her face then leaned down and captured her lips. Juliana was a bit startled but as soon as Valentina's lips touched hers she wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close. Valentina wiped away new tears from Juliana's cheeks as she continued to kiss her softly. With a final lingering kiss she slowly pulled away and rested her forehead against Juliana's.

"I really have to go back..." she whispered. Juliana nodded.

Valentina kissed her again and searched her eyes as she pulled back. When their eyes locked Valentina slowly stroked her cheek.

"You said there was a place you wanted to show me? Take me there later so we can talk some more in private?" Valentina asked.

"Okay..." Juliana said meekly.

"Okay." Valentina said affirmative and gave Juliana a warm smile.

She kissed her tenderly again and then hurried back to the cabin before Lupita would wake up.


	6. Chapter 6

Juliana crawled back into bed and pulled the covers over her body. She felt completely drained, so many emotions were running through her body and she couldn't quite believe what had actually happened between them last night. Juliana knew she'd been acting thoughtless but when Valentina had shown up last night she just couldn't stop herself. Touching her so intimately had been amazing and then, to wake up holding her had felt like a dream. She realized that sleeping together complicated things even more than the kiss had, yet she didn't regret it. She would never ever regret it.

When Valentina had pulled away from her she thought she'd ruin everything between them, that she would lose her before she even had her. So when the other woman had kissed her and promised they would talk more later, it was as if a huge stone was lifted from her chest. Now all she had to do was get through breakfast with her mother and Valentina without making her mother suspicious, which was easier said than done. Lupita de Valdés was an expert on sensing if there was even the slightest bit of tension between two people. So she was definitely worried that her mother would start asking questions she wasn't ready to answer.

Two hours later Juliana entered the cabin and heard sounds of chattering coming from the kitchen. Bracing herself she took a deep breath before she walked over to the kitchen door and peeked her head inside.

"Morning. I'm just gonna take a quick shower, be back in a bit." she said and disappeared as quickly as she'd shown up.

"Okay. Good morning to you too." Lupita replied to the closing door.

Valentina had never looked up when she heard Juliana's voice, afraid that her feelings would be written all over her face if she did. She stood by the stove and was making an omelet. A couple of minutes later the dish was done so she put the omelet on a plate and carried it to the table.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Lupita stood by the counter and was busy slicing bread while Valentina carried plates and cups from the cupboard to the table and as she put the last cup down she walked over to the fridge to get some orange juice.  
When she closed the refrigerator door and turned around Juliana walked back in. Their eyes met and Valentina instantly felt her heart speed up. Juliana smiled sweetly and Valentina couldn't help but smile back. Lupita put the bread in a basket and put it on the table.

"Morning sweetie. Did you sleep well?" Lupita asked.

Valentina almost dropped the juice bottle and felt her cheeks flush. She looked down and made her way over to the table and sat down.

"Y-yes, I did." Juliana answered shortly not daring to look at Valentina.

"Good. Well come on, take a seat." Lupita gestured for Juliana to sit.

The brunette sat down next to her mother and busied herself with the food in front of her. Lupita was keeping a conversation going all by herself. Valentina was chewing on a piece of bread and nodded in agreement every now and then, she actually had no idea what the woman was talking about. She tried not to look at Juliana but she couldn't resist. She kept stealing glances at Juliana who met her eyes and held her gaze for a moment or two.

"Juliana? Are you listening?" Lupita asked and looked at her daughter.

Juliana quickly looked away from Valentina and turned towards her mother.

"What?" she said.

Lupita looked from Juliana to Valentina on the other side of the table then back at her daughter with a quizzical expression on her face.

"Is everything okay between you two?" she asked.

"Yeah, of course." Juliana answered quickly, maybe a little too quickly she thought, but decided to not give her mother a chance to interrogate further.

"So, you were saying?" she asked and thankfully it looked like her mother dropped the other subject.

"I was just saying that I need to go into town to get some supplies but I shouldn't be more than one, two hours tops. You're more than welcome to join me if you two haven't made other plans already?" Lupita said.

"Actually, I've promised to give Valentina a tour of the surroundings later" Juliana said.

"Oh, well if you girls are gone for a while maybe we can have a late lunch together when I get back?" Lupita suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea Lupita." Valentina said.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

They all helped clean up in the kitchen before Lupita headed into town and left the two women alone. Juliana had returned to the boathouse to pack a bag she would bring with her, when she walked back to the cabin Valentina stood outside on the grass and waited for her.

"Hey..." she said softly.

Valentina turned around and smiled shyly.

"Hi..."

"Are you ready?" Juliana asked softly.

"Yeah." Valentina said and nodded.

"Okay. It takes about 30 minutes to get there so we should get going." Juliana said.

"Okay."

Juliana took the lead and Valentina followed, walking a few steps behind.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

They had walked for about 20 minutes and their conversation had been very minimal, both felt pretty awkward around each other and didn't really know how to act. Juliana was walking a few steps ahead and turned around to check every now and then if the other woman was still with her.

"There's an opening in the woods up ahead where we have to go down a slope and then we're almost there." Juliana explained.

"Okay, it's been quite a walk, you didn't exaggerate that part." Valentina said as she took a sip of water from her water bottle then handled the bottle to Juliana.

Their fingers brushed slightly when Juliana took the bottle from Valentina's hand and instantly she felt a tingle all over her body.

"I know but I promise it's worth it." Juliana said and gave the taller woman a small smile before she took a few sips of water as well.

She gave the bottle back to Valentina who put it back inside her backpack.

"Ready?" Juliana asked. Valentina nodded and they continued.

Juliana had reached the bottom of the slope and Valentina was a few steps behind. Just before she reached the bottom she slipped on a loose rock which made her slide the rest of the way down. It wasn't a hard fall so she didn't hurt herself but she felt a bit embarrassed.

"Are you okay?" Juliana asked as she walked over to the other woman sitting on the ground.

"Yeah I'm fine, didn't watch where I was going that's all." Valentina said and put her hands down beside her to push herself up.

"Here, let me help you." Juliana said gently and reached out her hand.

Valentina met her eyes and they just looked at each other for a moment, then Valentina slowly lifted her hand and took hold of Juliana's who helped her to her feet. Slowly releasing Juliana's hand Valentina thanked the other woman for the help and brushed the dirt of her shorts and legs.

"It's just a little bit further." Juliana said and started walking again.

Valentina looked at Juliana's back as the brunette continued walking. Taking a few quick steps she caught up with the woman and walked beside her. Juliana glanced over her shoulder and smiled when Valentina came up beside her. They walked side by side when suddenly their hands brushed together. Juliana felt a jolt run through her body by that brief touch, she wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold her hand but she stopped herself. Valentina felt her heart speed up by that brief touch and when their hands brushed together again she tentatively reached for Juliana's hand. Juliana couldn't breathe when she felt Valentina reach for her hand. She dared not look at the other woman at that moment, she just slowly closed her fingers around Valentina's hand and continued walking.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

A few minutes later they came to what appeared to be a pretty overgrown part of the forest and Valentina hesitated when Juliana lead her straight into what appeared to be impenetrable vegetation.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" she asked hesitatingly.

"Yes, it's on the other side. I know it looks like, well, just a bunch of overgrown trees and bushes but there's a narrow path just behind the first trees." Juliana said and squeezed her hand gently.

"Just trust me..." she said as she slowly entwined their fingers and looked straight into Valentina's blue eyes.

Valentina could only nod and when Juliana motioned for her to follow, she did. Juliana lead her through the forest on the narrow path which grew wider as they continued forward. Then the woods opened up and they reached a secluded beach with large trees growing on either side like a perfect frame. On one side a large tree was hanging out over the water, obviously the forces of nature had made the tree grow in an abnormal angle and made it resemble a palm tree. The water was beautiful and had a different color than the water by the cabin, Valentina thought it was a bit strange as it was the same lake after all, but nevertheless it was an incredible place.

"God it's so beautiful..." Valentina said in awe as her eyes continued to take in the beautiful surroundings.

Juliana looked at Valentina.

"Yeah it is..." she whispered and let her eyes wander over the other woman's features.

"So..." Juliana continued.

Valentina looked at her and felt Juliana's hand gently holding her own. Thoughts of last night invaded her mind and she was suddenly filled with an enormous amount of guilt for being unfaithful. She'd never ever cheated on Lucho or anyone else she'd dated before. She'd actually never thought about cheating either but Juliana had turned her world upside down and the attraction between them had been too strong. She knew that it was a lousy excuse but she couldn't explain it any other way. It all started to get too much and she suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe. She dropped Juliana's hand and walked down to the water's edge.

"Val..." Juliana said softly and watched the other woman drag her hands through her hair.

Valentina knew she'd told Juliana that they would talk at the beach but she didn't know what to say anymore. The more she thought about the whole situation the guiltier she felt. She turned her head and looked at Juliana who was still standing in the same spot looking back at her.  
 _God you confuse me Juliana Valdés.._

They looked at each other for a moment and Juliana couldn't read the expression in Valentina's eyes and that started to scare her a little. The taller woman turned around again and closed her eyes as the guilt was starting to consume her.  
 _I can't do this... I'm engaged and... and I'm supposed to marry Lucho... But the way she looks at me...the way she makes me feel... No! Don't go there. It has to be this way... it has to...what would everybody say?_ She started to feel slightly panicked and didn't know what to do or say.

"Val please..." Juliana said softly again.

"Talk to me..." she pleaded.

Valentina turned around and faced Juliana again, she could feel tears start to well up in her eyes.

"I can't do this... Last night... I...it was wrong...it shouldn't have happened, I'm getting married in a couple of months and... and...I can't do this..." she choked.

"What? Valentina can we talk abo-" Juliana started but the other woman interrupted her.

"No! I-I have to go... It was a mistake coming here….I-I…I h-have to..." Valentina stuttered trying hard to fight back tears as she rushed pass the other woman and ran back through the woods ignoring Juliana's voice calling after her.


	7. Chapter 7

Valentina didn't stop, instead she hurried through the overgrown forest and ran up the slope. She didn't slow down until she reached the main path that lead back to the cabin. Juliana stood frozen to the spot and tried to take in what Valentina had just said.

_No... I have to stop her, I have to talk to her...I..._

She took off, desperately trying to catch up with Valentina. When she reached the top of the slope she saw the other woman a few feet ahead of her.

"Val, wait!" she called out and started to run towards her.

Valentina didn't stop, tears were running down her face. Juliana called out again and when she reached Valentina she grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Please wait." she pleaded.

Valentina didn't turn around.

"Don't make this harder than it already is Juliana." Valentina said and shook Juliana's hand off before she continued walking.

"Can't we at least talk about it?" Juliana said.

"There's nothing more to say..."

"I know that you have feelings for me... " Juliana said softly.

Valentina stopped for a second when she heard Juliana's words then continued walking a little faster. Juliana ran up to Valentina and stopped her by stepping in front of her.

"Look me in the eye and tell me you don't feel something for me... " Juliana said and looked straight into her eyes.

Valentina swallowed hard and met Juliana's gaze.

"I...I can't feel like this, don't you get it? I can't feel this way about you.. I can't... " Valentina said almost desperately.

"Please Juliana, I need to go back to the cabin. I... Juls, please.." Valentina said through her tears.

Juliana held back her own tears as she stepped aside to let Valentina pass. Valentina gave Juliana one last look then left the brunette behind. As soon as Valentina walked away Juliana couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Valentina walked in a daze the whole way back. She couldn't think straight, her mind was a complete mess. When she reached the end of the forest and saw the cabin up ahead she walked faster. She just needed to get away from it all.

Lupita had returned faster than she anticipated and was just about to go back to the car to get the last bag when Valentina came round the corner of the cabin.

"Valentina, hi? Are you guys alrea-" she stopped mid-sentence when she saw that the girl was crying and looked very upset.

Valentina ignored Lupita, she couldn't deal with this now. Storming pass the surprised woman she ran straight to her room and threw herself down on the bed.

Lupita looked at the cabin door confused, what was wrong with Valentina and where was Juliana? Suddenly her daughter appeared, looking just as upset as Valentina. She walked towards the boathouse never even looking in her mother's direction. Lupita knew immediately that something was up by the way the two women were acting, and it wasn't something good.

Juliana saw her mother in the corner of her eye but she never looked in her direction. She knew it would only be a matter of time before her mother would come after her. She headed straight to the boathouse where she grabbed her bag and put it on the bed before she started to throw her belongings into it. Tears were running down her face which she furiously wiped away.

Lupita left the last bag of groceries on the front porch then walked down to the boathouse.

"Juliana?" she asked as she walked into the small building.

"What?" Juliana all but shouted.

"What happened?" her mother asked and stepped closer to her upset daughter.

"Nothing." Juliana said and zipped her bag close.

"It's not 'nothing' Juliana. Valentina just stormed into the cabin with tears running down her face and here you are, packing your stuff and I can see that you've been crying too. So don't give me 'nothing' Juliana." Lupita said and walked over to her daughter.

"I don't want to talk about it..." Juliana said.

"Well you're going to talk about it, and why are you packing?" Lupita asked.

"I'm going home." Juliana simply said and threw the bag over her shoulder.

Lupita looked at her daughter quizzically.

"What? Home? Juliana, what happened?" Lupita asked and put her hand on Juliana's arm.

"It's complicated..." Juliana said meekly.

"Come on Juliana, you know you can talk to me about anything." Lupita said gently and gestured for her daughter to sit down on the bed.

Juliana sank down on the bed with a sigh, looking down at her hands not knowing where to start. Lupita hadn't seen her daughter like this in a long time so she knew something serious had happened. She put one arm around Juliana's shoulder.

"Has something happened between you and Valentina?" she asked tentatively.

Juliana nodded slowly, her head still down. She could feel new tears was about to erupt and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold them back. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, Lupita waited patiently for Juliana to speak.

"I think I'm in love with her..." she finally whispered as new tears slowly trickled down her cheek.

Lupita's jaw dropped and she gasped in surprise. Of all the things she'd thought Juliana would say, those words was definitely not on her list. Juliana heard her mother's gulp of surprise but couldn't bring herself to look at the woman.

"I know it's crazy and wrong and that I've only known her for a short period of time, but... I think I'm in love with her mom..." Juliana said afraid of what her mother would think.

"I...I... well to say I'm shocked would be an understatement. How did this happen?" Lupita asked.

"I don't know...it just did... I understand if you're freaking out and that you're disappointed in me... but I didn't plan for this to happen and God how I wish I could take it back..." Juliana said while her tears kept streaming down her face.

It was true, she wished she would've been stronger. Sure, Valentina was the one who kissed her the first time but Juliana was definitely the one who initiated what led to the second which led them to go further and now everything was a complete mess.

"And Valentina? Does she have feelings for you too?" Lupita asked, still shocked by this revelation.

"I know she feels something for me but it doesn't matter, she's engaged and is getting married in a couple of months so..." Juliana said defeated.

Lupita didn't know what to say, her daughter was obviously very upset but she didn't know how to respond, how to comfort her cause her own mind was working on over drive trying to process everything.

"Please don't be mad... I'm so sorry for messing everything up and I'm sorry for disappointing you but I'm gonna leave. I'm gonna go home... I can't stay here..." Juliana said and wiped away the tears.

She got up from the bed and grabbed her bag. Her mother stayed on the bed trying to make sense of it all. Juliana stopped by the door, she turned around and looked at her mother. Lupita was staring into space with a troubled expression on her face, obviously trying to take everything in. Juliana opened the door and left.  
The sound of the door closing brought Lupita back to reality. She looked up and noticed that Juliana was gone. Her first thought was to try and catch up with her daughter and convince her to stay but she couldn't move. She was completely shocked by this news and needed some time to process everything.

Juliana threw her bag in the backseat and started the car, leaving a cloud of dust behind her as she drove away from the cabin.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Valentina was lying on the bed still crying. She'd heard the sound of a car starting and leaving and realized Juliana had left. God how did she manage to get herself in such a mess? Everything felt like a complete chaos and she had no idea how to get out of it. The soft sound of a knock on the door startled her. She knew Lupita stood on the other side and had probably figured things out, if Juliana hadn't already told her. She heard the faint squeaking of the door opening but didn't turn around.

"Valentina?... How are you?" Lupita asked.

She knew it was a dumb question, obviously the girl wasn't fine but she didn't know what else to say. When she left the boathouse she knew she at least had to go see how the other woman was doing. Judging by what she saw though, Valentina seemed far from fine.

"She's gone right?..." Valentina asked with a hoarse voice.

"Yes. She's going back home." Lupita answered and Valentina nodded slowly in acknowledgment.

"Can I get you anything?" Lupita asked gently.

"No... I just wanna be alone for a while..." Valentina answered.

"Okay. Well I'll just be in the kitchen if you need anything." Lupita said and left the room.

Valentina closed her eyes hard, tears slipped out and made their way down to her already dampened pillow. What was she going to do? It felt unreal. She wished that she was just having a nightmare and that she would wake up soon and then everything would be okay again.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Valentina had eventually fallen asleep, completely exhausted.  
When she woke up a couple of hours later it was getting dark outside. She checked her phone for the time and it was past 7.30 pm. Deciding to get some air she grabbed her shoes and walked out of the room. Lupita was sitting in the living room watching television. She smiled kindly when she saw the young woman.

"Are you hungry? There's food to heat up in the fridge." Lupita said.

"I'm not hungry, but thanks anyway. I'm just gonna go outside for a while to get some air." Valentina said.

Lupita nodded and Valentina smiled weakly before she went outside. She walked down to the pier and sat down by the edge and put her feet into the water. She cast a glance at the boathouse and felt a lump in her throat.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Lupita had been sitting in the cabin contemplating the whole situation with her daughter and Valentina. She knew she had to do something, talk to Valentina and let her know that she wasn't judging her, or Juliana too for that matter. She'd called her daughter three times since she'd left but Juliana had turned her phone off. Lupita had left two messages and told her that she wasn't disappointed in her, she could never be disappointed in her and begged her to call back as soon as she got the message. Knowing her daughter she knew she wouldn't be getting any phone calls tonight and she wasn't going to push her. She'd call back when she was ready but Valentina was still here and was probably feeling very confused. Lupita decided she would take a risk and try to talk to her.

Valentina had no idea how long she'd been sitting there by the water when she heard that someone was coming. She turned around and saw Lupita walking slowly towards her.

"Do you mind if I sit with you for a while?" Lupita asked gently.

"No, I don't mind..." Valentina answered meekly.

Lupita smiled and walked over to the other woman and took a seat beside her. Valentina was looking out over the water.

"Juliana's told you hasn't she?" Valentina said softly and glanced quickly at Juliana's mother.

"Yes. She didn't tell me any details or anything like that, just that something had happened between you two. But from the state you both were in I could already tell that something had happened." Lupita explained.

"She left because of me right?" Valentina asked sadly and Lupita's heart broke for the woman beside her.

"Oh honey... I think she just needed some time and space to think about things." Lupita said hoping that Valentina wouldn't take the blame for Juliana's departure.

"Yeah, space from me... I don't blame her though..." Valentina said sadly.

"Sweetie..." Lupita said and put her arm around Valentina's shoulder.

Valentina kept staring out over the lake, there was a moment's silence.

"I don't know how to stop feeling this way... She makes me feel something... Lucho has never made me feel like this... and it's crazy cause I haven't even known her that long..." Valentina whispered, afraid to say it too loud.

Lupita rubbed Valentina's shoulder gently as she listened to her, she was pretty much repeating what Juliana told her earlier.

"I'm so confused... It's like I don't even know who I am anymore... I've never been attracted to women before, but I am attracted to Juliana... God what does that mean? Then there's Lucho, and I don't want to hurt him... God! What's wrong with me? I don't know what to do Lupita, I don't know what to do..." she started crying again and Lupita wrapped her arms around the upset woman and held her tight, hoping she could provide some comfort. Valentina turned and let Lupita embrace her.

"I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you this; I'll always be here if you need to talk, about anything." she pulled back and looked at Valentina.

"I'll never judge you. I can only imagine how confusing this is but know that there's _**nothing**_  wrong with you. Sometimes things happen that are beyond our control. No matter what you decide to do, you'll have my support. I know we've only known each other for a short time but I care about you very much and if you need me, I'm here. Okay?" Lupita said gently and wiped the tears from Valentina's cheek.

"Thank you..." Valentina said softly.

"You must be starving, come on. Let's go back to the cabin and fix you something to eat." Lupita suggested.


	8. Chapter 8

They walked together back to the cabin and Lupita guided Valentina to the couch then disappeared into the kitchen. She returned five minutes later with a plate of food and a glass of wine.

"I figured you could use a glass of wine." Lupita said kindly.

"Thank you. Yes I could really use a glass of wine." Valentina said and managed a small smile.

She was so grateful, Lupita really had a heart of gold.

Valentina had been really hungry after all and the food was delicious. Lupita had joined her on the couch and refilled her wine glass.

"Feeling better?" Lupita asked.

"As long as I don't think about it, it feels better but it's really hard to not think about it..." Valentina answered.

"I can understand that." Lupita said.

"Have... have you talked to her since she left?" Valentina asked tentatively.

"No, she's turned off her phone. I've left messages though. She'll call me when she's ready." Lupita said.

"You know-" Lupita started but was interrupted by the sound of her phone.

Valentina's heart started to beat faster when Lupita picked up her phone to see if it was Juliana who was calling.

"It's Leon." Lupita said to Valentina before she answered and noticed how the other woman's face fell.

Valentina couldn't help but feel disappointed that it wasn't Juliana who called. She leaned back against the cushions and her heart started to slow down again, until she heard Lupita's conversation with her father.

"Tomorrow? I thought you wouldn't be back until earliest Thursday?"

Valentina's heart started to beat faster again. Would they be back tomorrow? She was so not ready to meet Lucho yet. He would know that something was up. She looked at Lupita again just as she ended the phone call.

"Obviously there was no fish and the weather forecast had changed so they've decided to cancel the trip and plan to make a new one in two weeks." Lupita explained.

The look on Valentina's face showed that she wasn't too happy about the news.

"Are you alright?" Lupita asked?

"No... no I'm not... I can't face Lucho now, he'll know something is up and I won't be able to act like nothing's wrong. I'm not ready to deal with this " Valentina started to feel slightly panicked. Lupita took her hand and tried to calm her down.

"It will be okay." Lupita said gently.

"I'm not so sure about that..." Valentina said.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Juliana was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling. The whole drive back she'd been in a daze and had no idea how she actually made it home. She'd gone from having the best night of her life to the worst day she'd ever experienced. Again she cursed herself for letting things get so out of control. Acting like this wasn't really her, she liked to be organized and to have control of things but being close to Valentina made her so called 'control' completely eradicate. Then again, she'd never met anyone who made her feel like Valentina did. She usually didn't fall in love easy, it was quite the opposite actually and the way she felt about Valentina made her question all her previous relationships. She realized that she'd actually never been in love before, not if being in love felt like she was feeling right now. She wanted to be with Valentina, she wanted her to want her back and it killed her that it wouldn't happen. She would marry the perfect guy, have kids and probably get a dog. She would move on with her life. Just thinking about it made her heart shatter into thousands of pieces and she wasn't sure she would ever be able to put it back together again.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

It was two very disappointed men that returned from the canceled fishing trip late Tuesday afternoon. Valentina and Lupita were in the kitchen making dinner when the two men walked into the cabin. They heard noises coming from the kitchen so they made their way over there to let the women know they were back.

Lupita smiled widely and greeted her fiancé with a hug. Lucho immediately walked over to Valentina and kissed her. It was just a quick peck but the second she felt his lips touch hers it felt wrong. And when Lucho wrapped his arms around her and held her tight her whole body screamed that this wasn't the right arms that should be holding her. She swallowed hard and forced a smile when Lucho pulled back to look at her.

"Are you okay honey?" He asked.

Valentina nodded, she felt like she could start crying any second but with willpower she managed to keep it together. Lupita glanced over at the couple and saw the look on Valentina's face. She only hoped that the woman wouldn't let fear keep her from what her heart truly wanted.

"I'm just a little tired and have a slight headache." Valentina answered.

"Okay, do you wanna go lay down for a while? I can help finish the dinner." Lucho offered.

"Yes, I think I'll do that." Valentina said and started to walk over to the door. Leon's voice stopped her.

"Where's Juliana?"

Valentina thought that if she'd turn around now her rapid heartbeat would show through her t-shirt. She stood frozen to the spot.

"Uhm, she had to go back home, a work emergency" Lupita lied and glanced at Valentina.

"Oh, well too bad. I was looking forward to spending some more time with her now that we came back early." Leon said.

"Yeah, well. Next time." Lupita said and smiled.

Valentina exhaled and continued out the door and went straight to her room.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

She didn't return for dinner, when Lucho had come by to ask if she would join them for dinner she said that she really wasn't feeling well and that she would stay in bed and rest.

Lying there in the dark she thought about how she'd felt when Lucho kissed her. Kissing him had never felt like kissing Juliana did... and before she could stop it, her mind wandered back to the night they spent together. Sex had never been a mind blowing experience for Valentina, far too many times it had been over just as it had started feeling good. But when Juliana touched her...when she felt Juliana's mouth on her... She pulled out the pillow from beneath her and put it over her head instead, hoping she could hide away from these feeling that just wouldn't leave her alone.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Later that night Valentina had gone to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash up before bed. She pulled off her t-shirt and removed her bra then turned around to drink some water before she'd return to bed. As she met her reflection in the mirror she froze. On her shoulder, or rather on the beginning of her neck was a very visible hickey. How hadn't she noticed that before? With a slight panic she threw her t-shirt back on and thanked God that the mark didn't show by the collar of her shirt. Her heart was beating so fast, seeing that hickey reminded her of what she'd done and the thought of Lucho finding that mark on her skin made her feel completely terrified. She wasn't ready to deal with that and definitely not here at the cabin.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

When Lucho came to bed a couple of hours later she pretended to be asleep. He crawled up behind her and started to kiss her neck.

"Are you awake babe?" He mumbled against her skin.

Valentina didn't respond, hoping he would stop if he thought she was asleep. That didn't work though. Lucho continued to kiss her neck and moved his hand under her t-shirt and started to move upwards. She couldn't take it so she stopped his hand before it reached its destination.

"Lucho, please... I really don't feel well..." she mumbled.

"I can make you feel better..." He said and wriggled his hand free and continued his path upwards.

"I've missed you..." He said as he kissed her jawline and pulled her closer.

The more Lucho touched her and kissed her the more she felt like she wanted to crawl out of her skin. She pulled his hand out from underneath her t-shirt and sat up by the edge of the bed.

"What's wrong?" Lucho asked feeling rejected.

"I'm not feeling well. I think I might be coming down with something, it started yesterday and it's gotten worse today." She lied.

"I'm thinking about going home tomorrow." she continued.

"Home? But I just got back and I was looking forward to spending some time here." Lucho said.

"Why don't you stay then? Really, I'll probably be staying in bed and won't be much of a company anyway. I really don't mind." Valentina said and turned towards her fiancé.

"But if you're sick I wanna take care of you. And we only have one car so maybe I'd better just go home with you." Lucho said.

"I know you wanna take care of me but really, it's okay. Stay and enjoy yourself, and you can probably borrow dad's car. He and Lupita are staying longer and they brought both their cars so I'm sure it's not a problem. Look, I know you're disappointed about the fishing trip but maybe you and dad could go out on the lake and try your luck here. There's got to be fish, I mean the lake is huge. So just stay, really I'm fine." Valentina said and smiled.

"Okay. I'll stay for a day or two but then I'm coming home to you." Lucho said.

"Okay."

He moved closer to kiss her but Valentina turned her head so the kiss landed on her cheek.

"Come back to bed, I'll be good I swear." Lucho said with a smile and Valentina laid back down and let Lucho hold her but she couldn't shake the feeling of how it was the wrong arms holding her.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Valentina packed her things together the first thing next morning. Lucho was still asleep when she sneaked out of their room to go grab some coffee before she'd leave. When she entered the kitchen Lupita sat by the table. She noticed Valentina's bag and looked at her questioningly.

"Good morning. Are you going somewhere?" Lupita asked.

"I'm going home..." Valentina answered.

"Oh..." Lupita didn't question the woman. She understood her need to leave.

"What did you say to Lucho?" she asked.

"I told him I wasn't feeling well, that I might be coming down with something. He's gonna stay though. Just for a day or two but hopefully it will give me enough time to figure this out." Valentina explained. Lupita nodded.

"Are you leaving right this minute or do you have time for breakfast?" the older woman asked.

Valentina smiled.

"I have time for breakfast."

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

After breakfast she went back to her and Lucho's room to say goodbye to her fiancé. When he leaned in to kiss her goodbye she again turned her head and the kiss landed on her cheek instead. She didn't want to kiss him and a part of her couldn't believe she just admitted that to herself.

Lupita had gone outside after breakfast and was sitting in the sun on the front porch. She got up from the chair when Valentina stepped outside.

"I'll walk you to your car." she said and smiled.

As they walked to the car Valentina noticed her father down by the lake.

"What is he doing?" she asked Lupita.

"He's attempting to fix the old rowboat. Since the fishing trip ended up a fiasco he's determined to fix that old thing up and go out on the lake to try his luck." she explained.

Valentina chuckled and shook her head.

"Typical dad. Well, it should keep him occupied with something at least. You know how he gets if he's too restless." Valentina said.

"Oh don't I know it. I think that boat is beyond saving but I don't have the heart to tell him and as you said, it keeps him busy so I'll let him be." Lupita said and smiled.

Valentina put her bag in the backseat and turned towards Lupita when she closed the door. The older woman pulled her in for a hug.

"I know you're confused and that you don't want to hurt anybody but whatever you decide to do, do it because it will make _ _you__  happy. Not anyone else. Promise me that okay?" Lupita whispered.

"I'll try... Thank you for everything Lupita." Valentina said and hugged the older woman a little tighter before she pulled back and smiled.

"Anytime sweetie, anytime..." Lupita said. She opened the door and Valentina got in.

"Take care of yourself now you hear?"

"I will. Please tell dad that I wasn't feeling good and went back home. I can't face him, he'll know I'm hiding something." Valentina pleaded.

"I'll tell him. Drive safely."

Valentina smiled then pulled out of the driveway and down the old dirt road. She felt like she could breathe for the first time since Lucho got back yesterday. She hated lying to him but she had no idea how she ever would be able to tell him about what happened between her and Juliana. He would be devastated, that much she knew and she really didn't want to hurt him. Then her thoughts wandered to Juliana and just thinking about her made her whole body tingle and she could actually feel butterflies dancing around in her stomach. She remembered how Juliana touched her and kissed her and how wonderful it had been. Could she really ignore those feelings and just settle with what she had? Could she marry Lucho and spend the rest of her life with him? And if she did, would she be filled with regret every time she saw Juliana again? Regret for not giving her a chance? Giving  _them_ a chance? Could she live with that?

_No... no...I can't live with that._

At that moment she made a decision. She pulled over by the side of the road, picked up her phone and started writing a new text message. Hitting send she continued her drive feeling a mix of nerves and excitement wash over her.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Lupita had returned to the front porch and was just about to refill her coffee cup when her phone beeped indicating she'd received a new text. Picking up her phone she read the message on the screen:

**Lupita, I need a favor.**

  
  


 


	9. Chapter 9

It was almost dark by the time Valentina parked her car outside Juliana's condo, Lupita had texted her Juliana's address and the code for the entrance door after she'd asked the older woman for a favor. She was so nervous but she had to see her, she had to know.

It was quite an impressive building. She walked over to the board and saw Juliana's name and apartment number, she lived on the fifth floor. Valentina took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to try and calm her racing heart before she walked over to the elevator. She stepped inside and the moment the door closed behind her she felt her heart starting to race again. Was she really ready for this?

“As ready as I'll ever be...” she mumbled to herself.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Juliana sat under a blanket on her couch and watched a game show on TV. Suddenly she thought she heard something so she muted the sound on the TV and listened. Nothing. She shrugged her shoulders and put the sound back on. Then she heard a faint sound again. She turned around and realized someone was knocking on her door. She checked the time.

_Who's knocking at my door at this hour?_

She got up from the couch and walked over to the door. When she looked through the peephole her heart stopped. Valentina was standing outside her door.

_Oh my God ...what is she doing here?_

Should she pretend that she wasn't home? No... she couldn't do that, she had to open the door. Taking a deep breath she removed the safety chain and then turned the lock before she slowly opened the door. Valentina met her eyes and Juliana could tell the other woman was very nervous.

“Hi...” Valentina said with a somewhat shaky voice.

"What are you doing here?" Juliana asked softly.

Valentina took a deep breath. Seeing Juliana again stirred so many feelings inside and just looking into those beautiful brown eyes she knew she'd made the right decision coming here.

"Honestly, I don't know... I just had to see you..." she said softly.

"How did you know-" Juliana started but stopped herself realizing her mother probably had something to do with this.

"My mom gave you the address." she continued and the other woman nodded.

"C-can I come in?" Valentina asked tentatively.

Juliana looked at her intensely and Valentina found it hard to breathe.

"Yeah, of course." Juliana said and stepped aside to let her in.

Their bodies brushed slightly as Valentina walked past the other woman and it instantly ignited something in the both of them.

Juliana closed the door and gestured for Valentina to go into the living room. The brunette paused by the entrance to the kitchen.

"Do you want something to drink?" she asked.

Valentina turned around.

"Just a glass of water."

"Okay, go take a seat in the living room, I'll be right there." Juliana said gently and walked into the kitchen.

She braced herself on her arms against the kitchen counter trying to calm herself down a little. She tried deep breaths, eyes closed but nothing worked. Sighing she filled a glass of water and walked back to the living room. Valentina sat in one corner of the couch looking, well, pretty terrified.

"Thank you." she said when Juliana placed the glass on the table in front of her.

Juliana took a seat at the opposite corner, casting a glance at the nervous woman. Valentina looked down at her hands trying to find the courage to start talking. It wasn't easy.

"Why are you here?" Juliana broke the silence.

Valentina looked up and met Juliana's eyes.

"I just... I just had to see you... I'm so confused and I hate that everything turned into such a mess between us. I'm sorry if I hurt you Juliana... I never meant to, you have to know that." the other woman said sincerely.

Juliana just looked at her.

"I...uhm.." Juliana sighed and got up from the couch. She walked over to the living room window and wrapped her arms around herself. She peered out the window trying to figure out what to say. Valentina watched her but remained seated.

"Juls... you... you've made me feel something I've never felt before and frankly, it scares the shit out of me..." Valentina started.

"Yesterday Lucho and dad came back to the cabin earlier than planned, and I panicked... I couldn't face him..."

Juliana blinked back the tears that had started to trickle down her cheek. She didn't want to hear about Lucho coming back, she didn't want to hear anything about Lucho period.

Valentina had left the couch and was slowly making her way over to the brunette who still had her back turned towards the other woman.

"The last thing I want to do is hurt anyone but I realize that someone is going to get hurt no matter what and it's killing me..."

Juliana couldn't take it anymore, she couldn't stand and listen to the other woman rejecting her again, cause that was what she was doing right? She turned around and came face to face with Valentina, not caring that she had tears running down her cheeks.

"Look, if you've come all this way to just reject me again, you might as well leave now. I get it. You're marrying Lucho, you don't have to rub it in." Juliana said, starting to get slightly upset.

"What? That's not what-" Valentina started but Juliana interrupted her.

"Don't you get it by now? I want you! And I know it's crazy, I know that but I want to be with you... I want to be with you so badly but I get it, really I do. You're with someone else, you're not mine and you never will be mine and...God..." Juliana looked down feeling completely devastated.

Valentina stepped closer and took one of Juliana's hands in her own.

"But I am... I am yours... I was yours from the moment I met you but I didn't realize it then. Juliana... " Valentina moved closer and cupped the brunette's cheek. Juliana met her eyes and saw nothing but pure honesty in those deep blue eyes.

"I want you too... I know everything is a mess right now but... I've never felt this way before..." Valentina said softly and moved even closer and leaned forward to rest her forehead against Juliana's.

"I know we've only just met and yeah, this is completely crazy but Juls... I want you, I want you..." she breathed out and Juliana felt the taller woman's breath hit her lips.

She tentatively lifted her hands and put them on Valentina's waist which made the other woman shiver. Juliana closed her eyes as she felt Valentina's nose nuzzle against her own and she couldn't believe that this was happening, that Valentina was there, telling her she wants her too.

Valentina couldn't stand it anymore, she needed to be closer to her, to touch her again...Tilting her head forward she gasped as her lips found Juliana's and when the other woman's lips moved against her own again, her whole body tingled with anticipation.

She pulled her closer as she deepened the kiss and when their tongues met Valentina couldn't help but moan into Juliana's mouth. She tilted her head so she could kiss her even deeper and felt a flood of wetness gather between her thighs when Juliana pushed her tongue inside her mouth. Juliana grabbed the hem of Valentina's t-shirt and pulled it over her head quickly then captured her lips again. Valentina copied the brunette's move and pulled Juliana's tank top over her head then quickly started to work on removing her bra. Their hands were roaming all over each other's bodies, pulling and jerking at clothes, both desperate to feel the others skin against their own again.

Their kisses were heated with tongues and teeth clashing together and as they started to move towards the couch they left trails of discarded clothes on the floor behind them, finally leaving them in only their underwear. When they reached the couch they stumbled down upon it. Juliana landed on top of the other woman and left her mouth as she started to trail soft kisses down the incredibly soft skin on Valentina's neck. She nibbled the skin on the other woman's shoulder before she continued to kiss down to Valentina's breast.

"Oh God..." Valentina moaned as she felt Juliana's lips close around her nipple.

She pulled the brunette up again and captured her mouth in a heated kiss, Valentina's tongue instantly found its way into Juliana's mouth.

"I want you..." Valentina mumbled against Juliana's lips as she continued to kiss the brunette passionately.

She moved to sit up making Juliana follow her movement, never breaking the kiss. Valentina left Juliana's mouth and placed hot, open mouth kisses on the brunette's cheek, along her jawline and towards her ear. She panted heavily into Juliana's ear which made the brunette shiver with want. When Valentina took Juliana's earlobe between her teeth and nibbled lightly Juliana felt an almost unbearable aching between her thighs and she grasped Valentina's waist hard as she felt warm lips enfold her earlobe before those amazing lips moved down to the side of her neck and started sucking gently. Juliana moved her hands up to cup the other woman's breasts and gave them a gentle squeeze, Valentina gasped and bit down on Juliana's shoulder when she felt the brunette's thumbs rub over her nipples. Juliana searched out Valentina's mouth again and kissed her deeply. Her right hand left Valentina's breast and moved down until she reached the top of the other woman's underwear. Valentina kissed her harder, encouraging her to continue with her movements and Juliana obliged. Slipping her hand inside Valentina's underwear she was shocked by how wet the other woman was.

Valentina broke the kiss and gasped loudly as Juliana's fingers slipped inside her. She had to put both hands on the brunette's shoulders to steady herself as Juliana pushed deeper and she started to rock her hips against Juliana's hand to gain even more friction. It didn't take long until Juliana pushed her over the edge and she slumped down against her. Juliana caught the other woman and held her until she came down. Valentina breathed heavily against Juliana's neck and when she'd composed herself she pulled back and looked into Juliana's dark brown eyes. They were filled with emotion and she could only imagine hers were as well.

"You're so beautiful..." she whispered and touched Juliana's face.

Juliana just looked at her, she still couldn't believe that Valentina was here, in her arms again. The other woman leaned in to kiss her again and slowly pushed her tongue inside Juliana's mouth, eager to feel the other woman's tongue against her own. She had to admit, it was becoming addictive. She pushed Juliana back against the couch and covered her body with her own as she continued to kiss her deep and very slowly. It was the most erotic kiss she'd ever experienced and she was getting turned on again. Juliana's heart was beating uncontrollably fast as Valentina's tongue continued to swirl around with her own and she thought she would come from just kissing her.

Valentina noticed that Juliana started to writhe beneath her, slowly she moved one hand down between their bodies and slipped inside the brunette's underwear. Juliana couldn't breathe when Valentina touched her like this again. She had to break the kiss and gasped for air as the other woman found her most sensitive spot and started to move her fingers in small circles. Valentina wanted to touch the woman beneath her more, to make her feel what she had felt when Juliana touched her, but felt hindered by Juliana's underwear. Pulling her hand out she immediately started to work with removing the interfering object.

Juliana breathed heavily as she felt Valentina tug at her underwear and lifted her hips to assist the other woman. As soon as the obstacle was gone Valentina quickly removed her own underwear too before she re positioned herself so she was lying on her side, still half on top of Juliana and leaned forward to capture the brunette's lips again. Juliana kissed her back hungrily and shivered when Valentina's hand touched her stomach and then continued south till she reached the place that ached to be touched. The other woman moved her fingers slowly through Juliana's folds and when Juliana gasped loudly she felt encouraged to continue. She started to kiss down the brunette's jawline and licked a path down to the crook in Juliana's neck. Her skin was so soft, she let the tip of her tongue trace small patterns on the brunette's shoulder and nibbled the flesh lightly with her teeth all the while her fingers continued to explore. Juliana panted and her hips had started to move against the other woman's hand, desperately needing more pressure.

Valentina realized that Juliana was close and she wanted to give her release. Moving her fingers further down, she slowly slipped a finger inside Juliana's core and moaned by the sensation of being inside her for the first time. Juliana started to rock her hips faster and Valentina had never been more aroused in her life. Touching Juliana like this and watching the woman writhe in pleasure beneath her made her feel more confident and she slowly added a second finger. Juliana panted as she met Valentina's thrusts and the other woman felt an aching need between her own thighs. She moved her mouth up to meet Juliana's again and re positioned herself again so she was straddling Juliana's thigh.

Juliana was so close and when she felt Valentina's wetness on her thigh and those beautiful fingers working inside her she couldn't hold it back anymore. Her walls closed around Valentina's fingers as her body shook in a really powerful orgasm. Valentina was grinding down hard on Juliana's thigh and moments later she collapsed on top of the brunette as she reached her second orgasm, her fingers still buried deep inside of Juliana.

Both women breathed heavily as they tried to compose themselves. So many emotions were running through the both of them and it was a little overwhelming. Valentina slowly pulled her fingers out of Juliana's core which made the other woman gasp loudly. Valentina kissed Juliana's neck and smiled against her skin as Juliana wrapped her arms around her.

They stayed like that for a long time, Valentina lying half on top of Juliana, their legs entangled and Juliana's arms around the other woman. Valentina was drawing lazy patterns on one of Juliana's arms with her finger and she felt like she was on the verge of falling asleep. Juliana noticed that the other woman's breaths were starting to become heavier and her movements stilled.

"Are you awake?" she asked softly.

"Barely..." Valentina mumbled.

"Come on... let's go to bed." Juliana suggested and felt the other woman nod against her chest.

Valentina slowly removed herself from Juliana and as she sat up on the couch Juliana grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her. Valentina leaned her head against Juliana's shoulder as she led them towards her bedroom. Once inside Juliana quickly pulled the bedspread off of the bed and then the two women crawled beneath the covers. Valentina snuggled up against Juliana who wrapped an arm around the other woman and pulled her closer. They fell asleep within minutes in each other's arms and the last thing that Valentina thought about before she fell asleep, was how she never wanted to be in anyone else's arms ever again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a song suggestion a few chapters back and I just fell in love with the song and it fitted this story sooo well! So I actually borrowed a few lines from it, let me know if you figured out what song and if you think it works ;)

Valentina was the first one to wake up the next morning. They had repositioned themselves in their sleep and as Valentina slowly opened her eyes she was lying on her side and was met with Juliana's peaceful face just a few inches away from her own. Juliana's left arm was still around her waist and Valentina's arms were tucked between their bodies. She lifted her right hand and pushed a few stray strands of brown hair behind Juliana's ear then left her hand on the brunette's cheek.

She studied the woman before her, taking in all her features. She was beyond beautiful but that wasn't what she was drawn to. She had the most loving heart, something Valentina was certain she'd inherited from her mother. She was caring and tender and really funny. She loved her sense of humor and she loved how easily Juliana could make her laugh. Valentina felt so safe in her arms, she felt like she belonged... Like she belonged there in Juliana's arms... She could feel the butterflies in her stomach starting to flutter again and looking at the sleeping woman in front of her she knew...

"I think I've fallen in love with you..." she whispered.

The hand that was still resting on Juliana's cheek was slowly stroking the sleeping woman's face. She grazed her thumb over Juliana's soft lips and couldn't resist. She leaned forward and placed a soft lingering kiss on those beautiful lips. As she pulled back she noticed that the brunette had a small smile on her face.

"This is a nice way to wake up." Juliana mumbled and slowly opened her eyes.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to wake you, I just couldn't help myself..." Valentina said softly and smiled back as she met Juliana's warm gaze.

"Definitely not complaining..." Juliana said seriously and looked deep into Valentina's eyes.

The other woman felt her heart skip a beat when Juliana looked so tenderly at her. Valentina's eyes closed as Juliana leaned closer and let her nose nuzzle against Valentina's. The hand that rested on Juliana's cheek moved and tangled into soft dark brown hair. Valentina loved how Juliana's hair felt as she let her fingers run through those soft curls. Juliana placed a single kiss on Valentina's nose before she pulled back and looked at the other woman again.

"I'm so happy you're here..." Juliana whispered.

"Me too..." Valentina confessed.

Juliana started thinking about last night, about what they did and what they said and waking up with Valentina again was wonderful. But there was still a tiny shred of doubt, even if she didn't want to feel that way, it was still there.

"Hey... What are you thinking about?" Valentina asked tentatively and stroked Juliana's cheek when she noticed the other woman looking a bit distant.

Juliana looked down but Valentina tilted the brunette's chin until she met those brown eyes again.

"I don't want to ruin this..." Juliana started.

"And I don't want to put any pressure on you but Val... I have to know... Are you really sure about this? Because if there's even a tiny bit of hesitation, tell me now and we can end this..." that last line was killing her.

They'd hardly even begun and thinking about ending whatever they had was awful but she had to be sure. She lifted her hand and caressed Valentina's face gently.

"I want to be with you... so if you're not sure this is what you want, that **I** am what you want just tell me now cause I can't stand the thought of being with you only to lose you..." she finished.

Valentina could see fear and so much vulnerability in those beautiful brown eyes she'd completely fallen in love with. Hearing Juliana say that they could end this thing that had happened between them if Valentina wasn't sure, made the other woman's heart ache. She slowly leaned forward and captured Juliana's lips in a tender kiss. The second her lips touched Juliana's she knew without a doubt what she wanted. Not that she hadn't known before, but there was still this little voice in the back of her head that had planted a seed of doubt about all of this. Ending this thing with Juliana and go back to Lucho would without a doubt be the easiest thing. They would get married and probably have kids and life would be simple. It was as if it was already decided, her and Lucho had been together for a long time so everybody around them expected them to get married and start a family. That was just how it was and it would probably have happened too if she hadn't met Juliana... The woman whose lips were moving tenderly against her own had stolen her heart so completely and she knew without a doubt she didn't want it back.

Valentina pulled back and moved her hand to cup Juliana's face gently.

“I wasn't expecting to feel like this, I wasn't expecting you...It's like a punch that knocks the wind out of me and you've completely invaded my soul...”

Juliana's heart was beating so fast as she listened to what Valentina said. She couldn't quite believe what she was hearing.

Valentina took a moment and looked at Juliana, her eyes held so many emotions. She swallowed hard before she continued talking with a soft voice.

"I can't marry him Juliana... I can't marry him when... when there's you. You've changed everything.”

Juliana's breath caught, was she dreaming? Did she hear right?

"What?..." Juliana whispered out a little uncertain.

“I can't marry him Juls... Not when I know what it's like to wake up in your arms, sometimes I can't breathe when you look at me... and when you touch me, God...”

Valentina moved closer and let her nose brush against Juliana's.

“And when you kiss me... I've never felt this much..." Valentina leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Juliana's lips.

Juliana put both her hands on the other woman's face and pulled her closer for a second before she pulled back slightly so she could look at her.

“Do you really mean all this?” Juliana asked tentatively.

Valentina just nodded slowly

"Juls... I know this doesn't make any sense and I can't explain it but no one has ever made me feel like you do..."

"That night when we talked on the swing, at the engagement party... something happened, and I can't explain it but you completely captivated me. I found myself wanting to be close to you, to know more about you. And it took me completely by surprise, it was so hard to pretend that I wasn't insanely attracted to you and so hard to suppress the feelings I had for you cause you were taken and also straight." Juliana said and stroked Valentina's hair softly.

"Then, when you kissed me... Everything I had tried to fight, every feeling I had tried to keep inside just poured out of me and there was just no way I could put them back...I didn't want to put them back..." Juliana said softly.

Valentina smiled and closed the distance between them with a gentle kiss.

"Please stay with me today..." Juliana asked gently as they parted.

"I really really want to... but... I lied and told Lucho I was going home because I wasn't feeling well. He wanted to come with me but I convinced him to stay. I don't know when he's planning to leave the cabin, he said he'd stay for a day or two and I have to get home before he will... I'm sorry..." Valentina said and stroked Juliana's cheek.

"I understand. It's okay." Juliana said meekly.

Valentina kissed her gently again.

"Do you want to take a shower before you leave? There's fresh towels and everything else you need in the bathroom." Juliana said gently.

"Yeah that would be nice." Valentina replied.

"If you go and take a shower I can make us some breakfast in the meantime." Juliana said sweetly.

"Okay." Valentina said softly and smiled.

Juliana got up from the bed and put on a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Valentina sat on the edge of the bed and watched the other woman get dressed. She had a bed sheet wrapped around her naked body. She couldn't help but smile as she watched the brunette, she was so beautiful and sweet and Valentina's heart started to beat faster just by looking at her.

Juliana didn't noticed she was being watched until she was about to open the door to the bedroom. She turned around and met Valentina's gaze.

"What?" the brunette asked puzzled with a small smile.

"You're beautiful..." Valentina said softly.

Juliana felt her cheeks flush by that comment and she looked down. Valentina got up from the bed and walked over to the brunette. She tilted Juliana's chin so she could meet her eyes again.

"You're so beautiful..." she whispered before she kissed her.

Juliana wrapped her arms around the taller woman's waist as Valentina deepened the kiss. Juliana couldn't believe the effect Valentina had on her, no one had ever made her so turned on in just a matter of seconds.

Kissing Juliana made her head spin, she entangled her hands in Juliana's hair and pulled the other woman even closer. Slowly she let her hands wander down over Juliana's chest where she gently squeezed her breast through the fabric of Juliana's t-shirt. The way the brunette moaned into her mouth encouraged Valentina to continue her exploration. She grabbed the hem of Juliana's t-shirt and pulled it over her head and mimicked Juliana's actions from their night in the boathouse.

Juliana gasped loudly when the other woman's lips closed around her nipple. She closed her eyes and breathed heavily as Valentina's hand found her other breast and squeezed it gently. Trying to compose herself before she would lose control, Juliana pulled Valentina's head up and kissed her deeply, their tongues met instantly and Juliana felt her knees go weak. She started to move them over back to the bed and pulled the bed sheet from Valentina's body as they moved slowly towards the bed.

Her hands started to wander all over the other woman's naked body the second the sheet hit the floor and as they reached the bed she nudged Valentina down on the bed then quickly removed her last piece of clothing before she climbed on top of the other woman.

Valentina breathed heavily as Juliana's lips started to place hot open mouth kisses all over her body. She let her own hands roam over Juliana's body, she couldn't get enough of her. As Juliana's mouth trailed a path of kisses down between Valentina's breast and continued south Valentina couldn't breathe. When she felt the brunette gently nudge her legs apart she willingly obliged and as Juliana's mouth found the heat between the legs for the second time she moaned out loud. Valentina grabbed the bed sheets and threw her head back as she felt Juliana's tongue swirl around her clit. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. Juliana certainly knew what she was doing and it felt amazing.

"Juls..." she panted as Juliana continued to please her with her tongue and she didn't think she would last much longer.

Suddenly Juliana slipped two fingers inside and as she altered between sucking and flicking her tongue against Valentina's clit the other woman exploded in the most intense orgasm she'd ever had. Juliana removed her fingers slowly which made the other woman tremble, then kissed her way up Valentina's body until she found her lips again. Valentina was still trying to catch her breath but when Juliana kissed her and she could taste herself on Juliana's lips she instantly kissed her back with everything she had.

Valentina flipped them over so she was on top. She kissed the woman beneath her deeply as her hands found Juliana's breasts again. Squeezing them gently she was marveled by how she'd never found women attractive before, well okay, she had but not like this... Being this intimate with Juliana felt absolutely wonderful, no one had ever made her feel this turned on ever before. She wondered what all this meant, she was undeniably attracted to Juliana and no one had ever made her feel like this... was she also gay? So many thoughts were begging to be processed but that would have to wait. She had an amazing woman in her arms and she was dying to make her feel just as good as she herself had felt just minutes ago.

She broke the kiss and trailed kisses down Juliana's neck and continued down till she could replace her hands with her mouth. Taking Juliana's nipple into her mouth filled the other woman with a sensation she'd never experienced before. Everything she was doing was so new and a little scary but at the same time she felt like she'd always done this. Switching her attention to Juliana's other nipple Valentina heard soft moans escaping Juliana's mouth and that gave her courage to continue with what she wanted to do...

Leaving Juliana's breast she continued to trail kisses further and further down her torso. When she reached Juliana's toned belly she let the tip of her tongue trace invisible patterns over soft skin, Juliana breathed heavily. The other woman grazed her fingertips over Juliana's abs and was completely mesmerized by her body. She glanced up and saw Juliana's chest rise and fall quickly and then she placed a soft lingering kiss on her stomach before she proceeded. When Juliana realized where Valentina was going she sat up quickly and pulled the woman back on top of her. Valentina looked at the other woman quizzically. Juliana breathed fast.

"You don't have to do...that... if... if you're not ready..." Juliana stuttered shyly.

Valentina smiled and kissed her deeply to tell her without words that she was ready and that she wanted to do it. As she pulled away she met Juliana's eyes with a look that said everything. Juliana just nodded and as the other woman again started to kiss down her body she closed her eyes and grasped the bed sheets tightly.

Valentina was really nervous as she kissed her way down Juliana's stomach again. What if she wasn't ready? She really had no idea what she was doing, what if she would freak out? Bracing herself she continued, she thought about how Juliana had made her feel and she wanted to make Juliana feel the same.

When her tongue touched the wetness between Juliana's thighs for the first time any doubt she'd had about not getting this right vanished. The way Juliana was writhing and the sounds she made spurred Valentina on and she slowly started to explore this new territory with her lips and tongue.

To say it was anything other than amazing would be a lie. To touch Juliana this intimate was intoxicating and she instantly felt like this was something she definitely wanted to do again. Remembering what Juliana had done, she tried to copy her moves and judging by the short gasps coming from the brunette she was obviously doing something right. Mimicking Juliana's moves earlier she slowly slipped a finger inside the brunette's core and felt her walls close around her finger instantly.

Juliana was so close and when Valentina slipped another finger inside and swirled her tongue a little faster it was all it took for the brunette to fall over the edge. Her walls constricted around Valentina's fingers and her whole body trembled as wave after wave of mind blowing pleasure washed over her. She didn't even notice when Valentina lay down on top of her again and kissed the side of her neck softly. When the other woman gently nibbled on Juliana's earlobe the brunette was brought back to reality.

"You're amazing..." Valentina whispered against Juliana's neck.

Juliana put both her hands on Valentina's face and pulled the woman up so her lips could meet hers. Valentina parted her lips and met Juliana's tongue in a slow, sensual and lingering kiss. Kissing Juliana was certainly addictive and Valentina couldn't get enough of Juliana's lips and tongue. Juliana gasped into Valentina's mouth when she tasted herself on Valentina's lips. When they parted Valentina kissed Juliana's nose softly and then gave her lips one last peck.

" _You're_ amazing..." Juliana said seriously and looked deep into beautiful blue eyes.

Valentina's smile faded as she looked into Juliana's eyes. God, how that woman made her feel... The butterflies in her stomach were back and doing somersaults like crazy. Her heart was beating fast and she felt all tingly. She swallowed hard and slowly leaned her forehead against Juliana's. The brunette closed her eyes.

"I don't ever want to let you go..." Juliana whispered.

Valentina pressed her lips against Juliana's and kissed her softly, hoping with that kiss that she could convey with her lips what words couldn't say. When they parted they rested their foreheads together again and Juliana stroked the other woman's arms gently.

"Are you hungry?" Juliana asked with a smile.

"Actually, yeah, I am." Valentina replied and smiled back.

"Well, if you still want to take a shower go ahead. I'm gonna go fix us something to eat, okay?" Juliana said and the other woman nodded.

Juliana reluctantly entangled herself from the other woman and sat up by the edge of the bed. Just as she was about to get up Valentina grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down and instantly captured the brunette's lips in a tender kiss.

"Okay, now you can go." Valentina mumbled against Juliana's lips and smiled as she pulled back.

Juliana smiled back widely, then even more reluctantly left the bed and picked up her discarded clothes from the floor. Before she walked out of the bed room she turned around and smiled.

"Take your time. I'll be in the kitchen." the brunette said and winked before she walked out.

Valentina slumped back down against the mattress with a wide smile on her lips. She'd thought about asking the other woman to join her in the shower but she figured that would delay them even more and though she really didn't want to leave, she knew she had to go back home in a little while.


	11. Chapter 11

The shower was wonderful. When she'd dried herself and put on her clothes she walked into the kitchen where Juliana stood by the counter with her back turned. Valentina sneaked up behind the shorter woman, wrapped her arms around Juliana's waist and placed a kiss on the side of her neck. Juliana dropped the knife she was holding and put both hands on Valentina's arms.

"Hey..." Juliana said softly.

"Hi... It smells really good." Valentina said and placed another kiss on Juliana's neck.

" _You_ smell really good..." she mumbled against Juliana's skin.

Juliana closed her eyes and squeezed Valentina's arms as the other woman continued to place soft kisses on her neck.

"Shall we eat?" Juliana asked.

She really just wanted to throw her against the counter and have her way with her but she knew they couldn't. Valentina had to leave soon and Juliana didn't want to put the other woman in a complicated situation just because she wanted her to stay with her. It took a lot of willpower to entangle herself from Valentina's arms.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

They ate in somewhat silence, both women had a lot of things on their minds and both just really dreaded the moment when Valentina had to leave. Breaking the silence Juliana asked something she'd thought about since Valentina showed up outside her door.

"Val? What happened at the cabin? They came back early?" Juliana asked with a gentle voice and looked up at the other woman.

"Yeah, they had to cancel their trip because the weather forecast had changed and... I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to face Lucho so, as I told you earlier, I lied and told him I was getting sick and wanted to go back home. Then as I was driving, I don't know... I just needed to see you..." Valentina said softly before she continued.

"Juls... I'm really sorry for how I acted when you brought me to that place by the lake... I was so confused and in denial... and I felt so guilty... I tried to tell myself that I didn't feel something for you and that what happened between us was a mistake but it didn't work. When I pushed you away... I thought I was doing the right thing and I thought that once I'd get you out of my head everything would go back to normal but... I couldn't stop thinking about you..." she said sincerely.

"The night when Lucho was back he started kissing my neck and I knew what his intentions were but I couldn't go through with it... It felt wrong when he touched me and kissed me and I felt so bad for feeling that way cause he's my fiancé, you know? He's the guy I'm supposed to marry and there I was, wanting  _your_ touch and  _your_  kisses..." she rubbed her hands over her face and sighed before she continued.

"I don't even want to think about how I'm going to deal with everything cause I know so many people are going to get hurt because of me... I'm terrified of telling Lucho... He's not going to take it well..." she said and looked somewhat dejected.

Juliana swallowed hard and looked down, Valentina noticed the change in Juliana's face.

"Juls, I meant everything I said last night, and this morning. I've never felt this strong about anyone ever before...I just... I just need some time to fix things okay?" she said and looked pleadingly into Juliana's eyes.

Juliana just nodded and then returned her focus to the plate in front of her. She wasn't ready to deal with the thoughts that appeared, thinking about Valentina going home and having to confront Lucho.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Valentina was very aware of the fact that she was prolonging their breakfast as much as possible cause she really didn't want to leave which Juliana noticed. She slowly reached for the other woman's hand.

"Hey... are you okay?" Juliana asked tenderly.

Valentina looked up and met the brunette's eyes. She sighed and gave Juliana a small smile.

"I just... I don't want to go..." she said softly.

Juliana got up from her seat and walked over to the other woman. She knelt in front of her and pulled her in for a hug. Valentina wrapped her arms around Juliana's neck and buried her face in the crook of her neck.

"I know I can't stay, I know I have to deal with this but..." she sighed against Juliana's skin.

"I just want to be with you..." she whispered.

Juliana got up on her feet and pulled Valentina up with her so she could hold her closer.

"I want to be with you too and I wish you could stay but Val, I'm not going anywhere..." Juliana whispered and kissed the side of Valentina's head.

Valentina held the woman in her arms tighter. They stood like that just holding each other for several minutes. Being in Juliana's arms felt so right, it really felt like Juliana's arms were made to hold her, that she belonged there...  
She pulled back slightly to look into mesmerizing brown eyes. God she had beautiful eyes... She studied Juliana's face as if trying to memorize her features before she slowly closed the gap between them. It was a kiss that conveyed so much, lips moving slowly together as they both tried to retain as much of each other as possible before they would have to part.

Juliana nuzzled Valentina's nose when the kiss came to an end and then she pulled her closer for another hug, Valentina buried her face in the crook of Juliana's neck and breathed her in. There was a moment when neither knew what to say, they just held on to each other. It felt like it was a goodbye and though both women knew what they wanted they couldn't help but feel that way.

"This is not a goodbye..." Juliana whispered and Valentina grabbed the fabric of Juliana's sweater tight when she heard those words.

"I don't know when we'll see each other again..." Valentina whispered back.

“I know... but we'll keep in touch.” Juliana said trying to hold her emotions in check, she didn't want her to go. She just got her.

She knew they had some big obstacles left and the sooner they dealt with them the sooner they could be together. She pulled back slowly and met Valentina's eyes, she lifted her hands and let her fingers brush back some strands of hair.

“There's no point in prolonging this” Valentina said sadly and reached down to take Juliana's hand.

She walked to the hallway and reluctantly let go of Juliana's hand to put on her shoes. Juliana leaned against the doorway that connected the hallway to the kitchen and watched the other woman with a heavy feeling in her heart. Valentina turned to Juliana again and took her hands, she was crestfallen.

"I don't know how I'm gonna deal with everything back home, with Lucho... I don't know how long it will take but I need to know that you will wait for me... can you do that? Can you wait for me?..." Valentina asked nervously.

Juliana gazed into her beautiful blue eyes and knew the answer immediately.

"Of course I'll wait for you... Val...No matter what, I'll wait for you for as long as it takes." Juliana answered truthfully.

Valentina released a breath she didn't realize she was holding and pulled Juliana in for another hug.

They held each other in silence for a few moments longer until Valentina reluctantly pulled away and with one last lingering kiss left Juliana alone in the hallway and walked out of the apartment.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=

Valentina had been driving for two hours and as she got closer to home, everything inside her wanted to turn the car around and go back, back to Juliana... She knew she couldn't. The only way for her to really be with Juliana was to start dealing with everything else.

_God this is going to be such a mess..._

Suddenly she thought about what her father would say when he found out.

_Oh my God, dad..._

A slight feeling of panic washed over her at that thought. She hadn't really thought about that...

_He's going to freak out... He's marrying Juliana's mother and we're practically going to be family and here I am... In love with his soon to be step-daughter... Oh God... this will not be good..._

How she would deal with Lucho was something she hadn't thought about. As soon as the thought appeared she'd managed to push it to the back of her head, she was too afraid to even think about it. But she knew she needed to come up with some sort of plan soon.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Back at Juliana's place the brunette had showered and changed into new clothes. Then she'd stopped by the supermarket to get some groceries and was now back in her apartment. It still felt like a dream that Valentina had been there, in her arms just a few hours ago, telling Juliana she wanted to be with her. It couldn't be real could it? It felt too good to be true and Juliana was certain she would wake up from this dream anytime now.

Her phone ringing snapped her out of her thoughts.

Picking up the phone from the table she saw her mother's name on the display. She hadn't talked to her since she left the cabin and she knew she couldn't avoid talking to her forever so she sighed and pressed answer.

"Juliana? Are you there?" Lupita asked immediately.

"Yeah mom, I'm here."

"Oh good. I've been really worried about you. So.. are you okay? I mean are you-" the older woman started, not knowing how to ask what she really wanted to ask.

Juliana sighed.

"I know you told Valentina where I live and no, I'm not mad at you." Juliana answered the non-asked question.

"Oh, okay. Good. Juliana I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just let you leave like that but I was just so shocked by what you told me, I couldn't even move." Lupita explained.

"It's okay mom. I understand and really, I just needed to get away from it all you know."

"I know and I get that. But you must know that I'm not disappointed in you. I was surprised to say the least and obviously shocked but never disappointed. I love you and I will be here to help you through this in any way that I can okay?" Lupita said and Juliana felt a lump in her throat.

"Thank you mom..." she said as she tried to hold back tears.

"What happened? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to but did Valentina come to see you?" Lupita asked softly.

"Yes... she came." Juliana started, still feeling emotional but the threatening tears were under control now.

"And?" Lupita asked tentatively.

"We talked and..." Juliana started not quite sure how to finish.

"You know I talked to her on the evening of the day you left." Lupita said softly.

"You did?" Juliana asked surprised.

"Yes. She was very upset and I couldn't just ignore it so I talked to her." there was a long pause.

"She cares a great deal about you, you know." Lupita said.

"I know..." Juliana whispered.

"It's just... Are you sure of what you're doing?"

"What do you mean mom?"

"Listen honey, you'll always have my support no matter what, you know that. It's just... there's a lot of things at stake here... many people are involved so, are you really sure about this?" Lupita had to ask.

Juliana sighed and contemplated what her mother was asking her and yes, a lot of things were at stake and a lot of people were involved in some way but she'd never been more certain of anything in her entire life.

"Mom... I know you only want what's best for me and I know a lot of things are at stake here but... I've fallen so completely in love with her... I've never felt like this about anyone ever before... I can't explain it, but I feel like I've known her all my life... I know everything will be really complicated because she's already engaged and because you and her dad are getting married but... I want to be with her..." Juliana explained.

"I figured you'd say that." Lupita said on the other end of the line and smiled.

"I just don't want to see you get hurt Juliana, or Valentina too for that matter. If you guys pursue this, know it won't be easy. I really have no idea how Leon will react to this news and Lucho..." Lupita said worried.

"I know mom... I know it won't be easy and I asked Valentina if she was really sure about what she wanted because I couldn't handle it if she'd change her mind but she's sure and I'm sure..." Juliana said.

"So what happens now?" Lupita wondered.

"She's on her way home and she's planning to talk to Lucho soon, but I don't know... She said she wants to be with me and I believe her but it's not gonna be easy..." Juliana said.

"No it's not. Her whole life has been turned upside down and it's gonna be 'upside down' for her for a while." Lupita said.

"Yeah I know..."

"Hey... I'm happy for you Juliana." Lupita said sincerely.

"And yes, you're right, the circumstances _could_ have been better but sometimes things happen that are beyond our control but that doesn't make what you're feeling, what either of you are feeling, wrong in any way. The heart wants what the heart wants." Lupita said.

"Wait a minute, when did Valentina leave?" Lupita suddenly wondered.

"Uhm, a few hours ago." Juliana answered.

"Lucho left early this morning, he wanted to get home and take care of Valentina and he's going to come home to an empty house." Lupita said.

Juliana couldn't help but feel guilty. She thought about the confrontation that would most likely take place as soon as Valentina got home and she just wanted to be there.

"Oh...That's not good. Mom, I... I'll call you back tonight okay? Love you. Bye." Juliana finished and ended the call then instantly dialed Valentina's number.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Valentina smiled when she saw Juliana's name on the display and answered gleeful.

"Hey! I was just thinking about you." the other woman said sweetly.

"Val, Lucho is probably going to be home when you get there." Juliana said getting straight to the point.

"What?" Valentina said instantly feeling a panic rising.

"I just talked to mom and she said that he'd left early this morning." Juliana explained.

"Oh God..." Valentina said slowly.

Everything was suddenly turned completely around, this was not how this was supposed to happen. She thought that she would've had some time to mentally prepare herself before Lucho would come home and then think of some kind of plan of how to tell him, but now, he could already be home... How would she ever manage to explain where she'd been without him getting suspicious? Maybe it was best if she just came out and told him, no lies no evasiveness just the truth...

_Oh God I don't know if I'm ready for this..._

"Are you still there?" Juliana asked when the line went silent.

"Yeah, yeah.. I'm here I just..." Valentina mumbled.

"I wish I could be there... Do you want me to come?" Juliana asked tentatively.

"No, it's okay... I have to do this on my own." Valentina answered.

"Okay. Just, I'm here... Call me if you need me or if there's something I can do, okay?" Juliana said.

"I know... and I will." Valentina said gently.

"Okay."

"Thank you for calling and telling me this. I'll try to call you later okay?" Valentina said.

"I'll be here. Bye..." Juliana said softly sensing that the other woman didn't want to continue their conversation and that was understandable.

"Bye..." Valentina replied and hung up.

She took a deep breath and closed her hands tight around the steering wheel. There was no use in speculating about what was going to happen when she got home, she braced herself for the worst as she continued her drive.


	12. Chapter 12

Her heart was pounding so hard against her rib cage when she made the last turn on the street that lead to their house. It only increased when she saw her dad's car parked on the driveway, Lucho was already home...

She pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine but made no attempt to leave the car. She looked down at her lap and realized she was wearing the same clothes she wore when she left the cabin. She had her bag in the trunk but that was forgotten as her need to see Juliana was too powerful. So this was it, the confrontation would happen now. There was no way Lucho wouldn't notice that she wore the same clothes and by now he must have realized she'd never been home in the first place.

Before she had a chance to think of something to say, to explain, Lucho was by her car looking very worried.

"Valentina? Are you okay? I came home just a while ago and I was about to call you, I wanted to surprise you. I thought you said you made it back last night but you haven't been here. Is everything alright?" He said as soon as he had opened the driver's door.

Valentina smiled weakly and got out of the car. Lucho looked at his fiancée and saw that she was still in the same clothes as she wore yesterday morning, something was not right and he got a funny feeling in his stomach when he saw the expression on Valentina's face.

"What's going on Vale?" he asked troubled.

"Can we go inside?" Valentina asked and started to walk towards the front door.

Lucho nodded and followed her into the house.

Valentina dragged her hands through her hair and took a couple of deep breaths as she walked into the living room. Lucho stopped in the doorway and looked at his fiancée who wasn't acting like herself.

"Valentina please... Talk to me. What's going on? Why didn't you come home?" Lucho started.

Valentina didn't know where to begin, how the hell do you tell the man you're supposed to marry that you've slept with someone else? That you in fact are in love with someone else and that that someone else is a woman? And that you're not sure you ever truly loved him to begin with? How do you start a conversation like that? Valentina had no idea but she did know that she couldn't lie to him, she felt like shit for what she'd done so the least she could do was to be honest with him. He deserved that much.

"Lucho...I..." she started and turned around slowly.

"Where have you been?" Lucho asked and took a step closer.

Valentina felt sick.

"I..." she said again, not really finding the right words, well any words.

Lucho didn't like this one bit. Something had definitely happened and he had a strong feeling that no matter what it was, it wouldn't be good.

"Valentina?"

"Yeah...No... I didn't come home." she started.

"Why? You weren't feeling well, you were going home to rest but you didn't? Where were you then?" Lucho asked confused.

"I... I was with Juliana..." Valentina answered meekly.

"Juliana?" Lucho asked feeling slightly better at ease but it only lasted a moment.

"Yes..." she answered.

Something about the way Valentina was looking at him made him feel like there was more to come. He was right.

"Why were you with her? I thought she had an emergency at work?" Lucho said feeling more and more confused.

"There wasn't any emergency..." Valentina said softly.

"There wasn't? Then why did she leave?" Lucho didn't understand.

"She..." Valentina swallowed hard.

"She... she left, because of me..." Valentina said so quietly that if the room hadn't already been dead silent Lucho wouldn't have heard her.

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" He asked puzzled.

Valentina looked up at the ceiling trying to keep her tears at bay, it didn't work. As she looked down again and met Lucho's eyes tears had started to trickle down her cheeks. Lucho was so confused, what the hell had happened at the cabin while he was gone?

"I'm so sorry... I... God!..." she was crying now and Lucho just looked at her perplexed.

"I don't understand..." Lucho started.

"She left because of you? Did you have an argument or?..." the way Valentina was looking at him gave him the answer.

"No..." he started, it couldn't be  _that_ could it? No way, Valentina wasn't like 'that', there was just no way.

Valentina closed her eyes and tears ran down her cheeks. As she opened them and met Lucho's confused eyes her heart broke.

"Tell me I'm reading this wrong? It couldn't be... you.. and  _her_?"

"I... I don't know how it happened, it just did..."

Hearing Valentina say that pretty much confirmed what he never in a million years thought could happen.

"So what are you saying? Did something happen between you and her? Did... did you  _ _sleep__  with her?" Lucho asked shocked.

He couldn't believe those words actually left his mouth and that they were directed to his own fiancée.

Valentina looked down, the guilt was tearing her apart. Lucho felt his heart break into thousands pieces.

"You did..." he stated.

Valentina looked up and nodded very slowly.

"Oh my God... I can't believe this..." he dragged his hands through his hair in despair.

It felt like his whole world was falling apart.

"Lucho...I'm so sorry..." she didn't know what else to say.

"You _slept_  with Juliana? Who's like your step-sister?" Lucho said with a hint of disgust in his voice.

"We're not related..." she answered quietly.

"Well, that makes it's so much better then." he said sarcastically and started to pace around in the living room.

"How could you do that Valentina?"

Valentina cried, she couldn't answer that question.

"God... Who are you?" he continued, clearly hurt.

"I'm so sorry for hurting you like this, that was the last thing I wanted..." Valentina said pleadingly.

"I feel like I don't even know you anymore... all these years we've been together, you really wanted to be with a  _woman_  instead of me?" he said with disgust.

"No! That's not true, Juliana's the only woman who's ever made me feel like this..." Valentina confessed.

"So what does she make you feel then? Tell me please." he said frustrated.

"I'm in love with her Lucho..."

There it was, the truth. She couldn't lie to him, she didn't want to lie to him. He deserved the truth and the truth was that she was in love with Juliana.

"What?..." Lucho said defeated.

"You're in love with her?...But you've only just met her Valentina! God! This is not happening..." Lucho dragged his hands through his hair and tried to focus on his breathing that had escalated quite notably.

Valentina didn't know what to say, this was turning into such a mess and she wasn't sure how to deal with that.

"So what are you saying here? That you want to be with her, is that it?" Lucho challenged.

Valentina could only nod weakly.

"God! We have five years together Valentina, five! Doesn't that mean anything to you?" he was crying now as well.

"Of course it does." Valentina said meekly.

"And still you wanna throw them away for what? For  _her_?" he said with disgust.

"Yes..." she whispered.

"I... I'm so sorry..." Valentina said with tears streaming down her face.

He looked at her with disgust. Who was this woman? He didn't know anymore. This wasn't the woman he'd spent five years of his life, loving. That woman would never do this, would she?

"How can you do this... I love you and I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you but you rather have a fling with your step-sister... You disgust me!" Lucho said spiteful.

"I love her Lucho... I know you think I'm crazy and I probably am but that's how I feel and I can't change that... I don't want to change that... The years I've spent with you have been wonderful, you know that but-”

"You love her? What about me?" Lucho said getting even more upset.

Valentina just looked at him not knowing how to answer that. She didn't know how love could really feel. Meeting Juliana stirred up all kinds of new emotions inside her and made her feel things she'd never felt before. And she realized she didn't love him and looking back now she wondered if she ever really loved him?

Not daring to meet Lucho's eyes she just slowly shook her head to confirm that she didn't love him.

"Get out..." Lucho said through gritted teeth.

She shouldn't be surprised that he reacted like this but a part of her still was. It hurt... but she just nodded and without another word grabbed her purse and walked towards the front door. She stopped by the large mirror in the hallway and didn't recognize her own reflection. Her eyes were swollen and red from all her crying and her cheek's were wet from all the tears. She looked down at her hands and slowly removed the ring that sat on her left ring finger. She placed it on the small table underneath the mirror and with one last glance at her own reflection, she left their house.

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She had no idea what to do or where to go, she kept driving around with no definite aim. She thought about going back to Juliana, God how she wanted to be in her arms but she wasn't in a state to drive that far. She pulled off the road and parked her car outside a little bed and breakfast place just outside of town. She decided that maybe it was best to stay there for the night and try to deal with everything else in the morning. She closed the door behind her, turned her phone off and went straight to the bed where she crashed down and felt the tiny bit of energy she had left just leave her body.

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Juliana was restless, she couldn't sit down for more than a minute then she was up and pacing around. The suspense was killing her, she wanted to know what had happened and if Valentina was alright and God how she wanted to be there.

"This is insane! What am I doing here?" she mumbled to herself then grabbed her purse, phone and her bag that was still standing by the door where she left it the day she returned from the cabin.

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She didn't even stop to think if this was such a wise decision but it was too late to turn around now anyway, she had already driven for two hours. She'd tried to call Valentina several times but she just reached her voice mail. She'd found Valentina's address and was now following the GPS instructions.

As the voice instructed that she'd reached her destination it dawned on her that this was not a good idea. What the hell should she say? She drove past Valentina's house and turned around and parked by the side of the road a couple of houses down the street. Her heart was beating so fast. She didn't see Valentina's car on the driveway but the house had a huge garage so it was probably parked inside.

_This is crazy, what am I doing here? What the hell was I thinking?_ she dragged her hands through her hair.

She checked her watch for the time and sighed, 10.53 PM.

_So this was not the most well thought-out thing you'd done..._

She couldn't do it, she couldn't actually walk up to Valentina's door and knock, not at this hour and... just no. This was a very thoughtless action from the brunette who just went with what her heart told her and not her head. She sighed and started her car and drove away from Valentina's street.

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Juliana had been driving for a while when her phone started ringing. She answered without even looking who was calling.

"Val?!"

"Yeah it's me"

"Are you okay?" Juliana asked worried.

"No, not really..."

Juliana felt a sting in her heart when she heard the other woman say that.

"Lucho knows... he knows everything and he kicked me out..." Valentina said dejected.

"He what? Where are you?" Juliana asked as she pulled her car over on the side of the road.

"I'm at a small bed and breakfast a couple of miles outside of town. I didn't know what to do or where to go... and I couldn't drive all the way back to you so I just ended up here and then I fell asleep. I just woke up."

"I went to your house Val. I don't know what I was thinking but I couldn't stay at home. So I drove all the way to your house but I didn't have the courage to knock on the door." Juliana said meekly.

Valentina sat up quickly when she heard what Juliana was saying.

"What? You were here? Where are you now?" Valentina asked slightly confused.

"I was on my way back home, I think I'm about 30 minutes away” Juliana replied.

"What? I can't believe you came... Please Juls, can you please come?”

“Of course, text me the address and I'll be there as fast as I can okay?

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Valentina couldn't believe that this was happening, was Juliana really here? Had she come just for her? She checked the time again. It was 35 minutes since she ended her call with Juliana and she should be there any minute now.

A soft knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts and she practically ran to the door and fell into Juliana's arms the second the brunette appeared before her. Valentina held her tight as a new set of tears slowly made their way down her cheeks. She moved Juliana into the room without separating herself an inch from the other woman.

Juliana wrapped her arms even tighter around Valentina's waist when she heard her silent sobs. She kissed the side of her head then whispered into Valentina's ear.

"It's okay... I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere."

They just stood there in the middle of the room, holding each other for several minutes and slowly Valentina's tears stopped falling. She tightened her hold around Juliana and buried her face in the crock of the brunette's neck. She couldn't believe Juliana was really there, in her arms. She inhaled her scent and was filled with a new wave of emotions. When Juliana held her, nothing else really mattered. She didn't think about Lucho and the mess she left behind, she didn't think about what her dad would say when he found out about this. She didn't think about anything other than how amazing it felt to be in Juliana's arms.


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning Juliana woke up still holding Valentina. She couldn't help but smile and nuzzled her nose against Valentina's shoulder. A while later Valentina woke up as well and pulled Juliana's arm even tighter around her and brought her hand up to her lips so she could kiss it. Juliana smiled and placed a lingering kiss on Valentina's neck.

"I'm so happy you're here..." Valentina said softly.

"I was going crazy... I think I've made a trail on my living room floor with my pacing." Juliana chuckled softly.

"I couldn't stay at home... I wasn't really thinking but I just wanted to be with you..." she continued gently.

Valentina turned in her arms and gazed lovingly into Juliana's eyes.

"I'm so glad you came... I still can't believe you're really here..." she said tenderly and stroked Juliana's cheek.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be..." Juliana said sincerely.

Valentina closed the gap between them and kissed her softly. When they parted Juliana found Valentina's eyes and she could see that the other woman looked troubled.

"I don't know how I'm gonna do this Juls... I'm so scared..." Valentina said with a trembling voice.

"I know… and I understand that... But I'm here okay? I'm not going anywhere. You're not alone in this. It's gonna be hard and tough but I'm gonna be by your side every step of the way." Juliana said and looked deeply into Valentina's eyes.

"But where am I going to go? He kicked me out Juliana and though it's my house too I can't go back there, I can't live there with him...and I don't want to live there with him."

"Stay with me then." It was out so fast she hadn't even reflected over what she just said.

"I-I mean, just till everything sorts out. I, I'm not asking you to move in with me or anything cause that would be way too soon and I have a spare bedroom too if you'd feel more comfor-" she was interrupted by a hand over her mouth.

"God you're cute when you ramble." Valentina said and smiled.

"Sorry..." Juliana looked down and blushed slightly.

"Do you mean it?..." Valentina asked a little more serious.

"What? About you staying with me? Of course I mean it..." Juliana said sincerely and met Valentina's eyes again. Valentina just looked at her.

"You're amazing you know that?..." she whispered.

Juliana smiled and leaned forward and kissed her gently.

"So will you stay with me?" Juliana mumbled against her lips.

"Yes... I'll stay with you..." Valentina mumbled back before she deepened the kiss.

Juliana parted her lips slightly and Valentina used that opportunity to slip her tongue inside Juliana's mouth. God how she loved kissing her. Juliana's tongue moved slowly against her own and she parted her own lips more so she could kiss the brunette even deeper. Juliana was an amazing kisser and no one had ever kissed her the way Juliana kissed her. She smiled against the brunette's lips and as they parted she had a goofy grin on her face.

"What?" Juliana asked and smiled.

"Nothing. Just... God... I love kissing you." Valentina said and smiled widely.

Juliana laughed.

"You're crazy. But I love kissing you too." Juliana chuckled and kissed her again to prove her point.

Juliana pulled back and looked at the other woman. God she was so beautiful and Juliana couldn't quite believe that this was actually happening.

"I'm so happy right now..." she said softly.

Valentina smiled and kissed her gently again. 

"What do you say about getting out of here?" Juliana asked.

"Sounds good to me." Valentina said and smiled.

They got up from the bed and took a moment to freshen up before getting ready to leave. Juliana grabbed Valentina's bag and put it over her shoulder as Valentina was putting on her shoes. The brunette leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Valentina's cheek which made the other woman smile. Stepping outside, Juliana put Valentina's bag in her own car before turning to the other woman.

"Want to get something to eat before we go?"

She took Valentina's hands in her own.

"Yeah, I think I do." Valentina said and smiled.

"Okay."

Juliana kissed her quickly before leading the other woman towards a diner across the street.

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After a quick breakfast they started the long drive back to Juliana's place. Valentina had considered going back to her house to collect some more clothes but she still had her bag so she decided to skip it, plus she really didn't want to meet Lucho. It was too soon.

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A couple of hours later they were snuggled up close together on Juliana's couch in a comfortable silence. Valentina felt completely relaxed in the other woman's arms and for a moment the chaos in her life didn't exist. Juliana still couldn't quite believe that all this was happening, she stroked Valentina's upper arm tenderly while the other woman was playing with the fingers of her free hand.

"I could stay like this forever..." Valentina said softly.

Juliana smiled and kissed the top of her head then mumbled into her hair.

"Me too."

There was another moment of silence and Valentina was deep in thoughts. She had a lot of things on her mind. Things she had to vent.

"I'm scared about how dad will react when he finds out about this..." she admitted.

"I know..." Juliana replied not really knowing what else to say.

"He adores Lucho you know... He's always been treating him like his second son. Like, taking him out on fishing trips and stuff. Lucho didn't even like fishing when we first started dating." Valentina said.

"This will kill him Juliana..." Valentina said with a lump in her throat.

"Hey..." Juliana said and tilted the other woman's chin up so she could look at her.

"You haven't done anything wrong... You shouldn't feel guilty for any of this, it's not like we planned this..." Juliana said softly and looked deep into her eyes.

"I know but still... and don't think I regret choosing you cause if there's one thing I'm absolutely certain of it's my feelings for you Juliana..." Valentina said sincerely.

Juliana nodded slowly and continued to listen to the other woman.

"You have to understand that my life will be a complete chaos for a long time, dad will most likely freak and all my friends..." Valentina trailed off.

_God what about all my friends?_ Suddenly she realized the effect her choice would have on all the people in her life and a slight panic started to rise within her.

Juliana noticed the changed expression on Valentina's face and though she really believed the other woman when she said she didn't regret choosing her, she couldn't help but feel a slight ache in her heart. An ache that only increased when Valentina pulled away from her and got up from the couch and left the living room without a word.

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Valentina closed the bathroom door behind her and walked over to the sink where she splashed her face with cold water. Turning the tap off she leaned on her arms against the sink and looked up to meet her own reflection. Water was trickling down her face and she lifted her hand to wipe some of it off. She took a deep breath as thousands of thoughts were running through her head. Knowing her life would be a complete mess once this thing came out made her more scared than she'd ever been. How would her friends react when they found out about this? That she was leaving her fiancé, the man she'd spent five years of her life with for a woman she'd just met? Listening to her own thoughts she heard how completely crazy it all sounded and she knew without a doubt her friends would think she'd lost her mind. Staring at her own reflection she noticed that tears had started to escape her eyes.

"What am I going to do?..." she whispered to her reflection.

She thought about yesterday, about having to confront Lucho and about how that made her feel. She felt so bad for hurting him, but as her thoughts wandered towards Juliana she instantly was filled with a sense of warmth and without realizing it her lips turned upwards into a small smile. No matter how terrified she felt about everything, what she felt for Juliana was so strong and though a very small part of her wanted to walk away from the situation just cause that would be the easiest way, there was no way she could do that. She reached for a towel and dried her face. Looking up at her reflection again she decided that she wouldn't let this fear of what everybody else would say and think, ruin a chance of something absolutely wonderful.

Sure, she could go back to the living room, break Juliana's heart and her own too for that matter, and go home to Lucho and beg for forgiveness. Tell him how she temporarily lost her mind and that she realized what a big mistake she was making, throwing away five years for something that was doomed not to last. Cause that's what everybody would think right? That her and Juliana could never last, they hardly knew each other and so on and so on. Ending this with Juliana and return to Lucho to try and work things out would be what everybody would expect her to do and technically she could do it. She could go back and marry him, have a family and  _everybody_ would be happy. No... not everybody, she wouldn't be happy, she would be settling.

She shook her head at her own thoughts. She was 28 years old and had spent the past five years in a relationship with a man and she thought she'd been happy. But then, like a flash of lightening she found a person who made her the happiest she's ever been in all her life. Someone who made her heart pound so violently in her chest just by looking at her. Someone who made the concept of butterflies in your stomach get a whole new meaning.

Life's too short to just settle for something that everybody else think is right. This was her now and she was going to live in the moment. She was going to do what made  _her_ happy, not what her surroundings assumed would make her happy and what made her happy, was Juliana.

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Juliana had remained seated, torn between going after Valentina or to give her some space. She decided on the later though she had an ache in her heart still. It just wouldn't go away... She believed Valentina when she'd told her that she wanted to be with her but there was still a part of her that feared that the other woman would realize what she was giving up just to be with her and that Valentina would decide that in the end it wasn't worth it. That thought killed Juliana but she tried to not let it get to her, there was no use picturing the worst case scenario was there? What good would that do?

"I'm sorry..."

Juliana turned around when she heard the soft whisper. Valentina stood by the doorway looking at her and she could see that she'd been crying.

Juliana got up from the couch and slowly walked over to the other woman. When she was within reach Valentina reached for her and wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck and pulled her close. Juliana wrapped her arms around Valentina's waist and held her tight.

"I'm sorry Juls..." she said again.

"I... I freaked out and I'm sorry for walking away like that..." she continued.

"Are... are you having second thoughts about this? About us?..." Juliana asked tentatively.

Valentina pulled back slowly and met Juliana's eyes. She could see uncertainty in those beautiful brown eyes and she knew she was the reason for that uncertainty.

"For a split second yes, I think I was..." she started and she could see the look of utter fear in Juliana's eyes.

"But then I started to think... really think about everything and about what everybody expects of me and I realized that though I'm scared, and I'm _really_ scared Juls, I won't let that fear decide how I'm going to live my life and whom I'm going to spend it with. I won't. Life's too short for that... Juls?..." she cupped the other woman's face and gazed into her eyes.

"I want this... I want you, I want us... All that matters is how I feel about you and my feelings are so strong." she slowly closed the gap between them and kissed her tenderly.

Juliana entangled her fingers in Valentina's hair and kissed her back. When they parted Valentina rested her forehead against Juliana's and Juliana gently dragged her fingers through Valentina's soft hair.

"I believe you... I believed you before too but I just... I guess I just got a bit scared. I want to be with you more than anything else in this world."

Juliana pulled back and met beautiful blue eyes.

"You have my heart you know?... You have it a-and I don't want it back..." Juliana said softly.

"Just... just don't break it..." she whispered.

Valentina felt her heart fill with love for this woman in front of her. She was so in love with her, and to hear Juliana say things like that just made her fall even deeper.

"I won't..." she promised and then kissed her gently again before she pulled the other woman in for another hug.

They stood like that for a while, just holding each other. Valentina felt those three little words almost spilling from her lips, but she couldn't quite say them out loud yet.

When they went to bed that night Valentina crawled up behind Juliana and wrapped her arm around her and placed soft kisses on her exposed shoulder. She really couldn't get enough of her skin, it was so soft and Valentina loved the way she smelled and the way her skin tasted… Valentina moved Juliana's hair to the side so the brunette's neck became exposed and she instantly placed her lips there and kissed her skin very gently. Juliana grasped Valentina's arm tightly when she felt the other woman's tongue licking a path up to her ear.

"You have no idea what you do to me…" was whispered into her ear and Juliana gasped quietly.

Valentina wiggled her arm free from Juliana's grip and sneaked her hand underneath Juliana's tank top and started to caress her stomach very gently.

"God Val…"

Valentina's lips continued to kiss and suck on Juliana's neck and the brunette couldn't contain herself any longer. She turned around and captured Valentina's lips in a kiss that was anything but soft.

Juliana entangled her fingers in Valentina's soft hair as she pushed her tongue inside Valentina's warm mouth. The other woman moaned into Juliana's mouth when their tongues met and started to move slowly together. Juliana's hand left Valentina's hair and made its way down the other woman's body till it found soft warm skin. Valentina moved so she came to lie on top of the brunette who let her free hand join the other and started to pull the other woman's t-shirt up and over her head.

Valentina pulled them both up into a sitting position and quickly removed Juliana's tank top before crashing their lips together again. The other woman gasped in anticipation when she felt Juliana cup her breasts and Valentina moaned loudly into the other woman's mouth.

"Juls..." she gasped as Juliana's mouth left her own and started to lick and kiss along her jawline down to her neck.

Valentina's hand started to wander and Juliana gasped when Valentina's fingers brushed over her nipples before she was being pushed down onto the bed and the other woman covered Juliana's body with her own. Valentina felt a flood of wetness between her legs as her breast collided with Juliana's, it was incredibly sexy and she was marveled by how incredibly turned on she'd become by it.

Their kissing intensified and lips and tongues were moving together while their hands continued to roam. Juliana flipped them over before the other woman had even registered what had happened and then wasted no time in connecting their lips again.

One of Juliana's legs found its way in between Valentina's and she pushed her thigh up against the other woman's core. Valentina broke the kiss and panted violently when Juliana continued to push against her and at the same time her hand was teasing her breast.

Valentina's hands moved down and she grabbed Juliana's underwear and desperately tried to push it down the brunette's toned legs which turned out to be extremely difficult when Juliana kept thrusting against her. Juliana slowed down and slid off the other woman in order to remove their last pieces of clothing. Valentina assisted eagerly and as soon as both of their underwear was off, Valentina pulled the other woman on top of her again and kissed her deeply.

Her hands were moving all over Juliana's body and Juliana nudged Valentina's legs apart and slipped her own thigh in between, just like she had earlier but now there wasn't anything in the way. Valentina moaned when Juliana's bare thigh pressed against her center and she started to grind her hips to meet Juliana's movement, desperate for more pressure.

Juliana's tongue swirled around with Valentina's in a very heated kiss while their grinding against each other increased. Juliana's thigh was wet from rubbing against Valentina's center and she felt a pounding between her own legs. Never breaking the kiss she changed their positions slightly so she was straddling Valentina's left thigh and gasped when she finally gained some pressure against her acing center. Needing more she broke the kiss and altered their positions again. She pulled Valentina's right leg over her own left and moved even closer until her center collided with Valentina's sending a jolt of pleasure through both women. Valentina threw her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes as her hips started to move frantically, grinding her center hard against Juliana's who met her every thrust.

Both women were panting violently as their wet centers continued to grind against each other and when Juliana picked up the pace Valentina couldn't hold back anymore and cried out in pleasure as a very intense orgasm washed over her. Juliana continued to grind against Valentina feeling her own orgasm starting to build. She moved her hips faster, she was so wet it was hard to gain enough friction. She needed more.

" Val... I need..." she panted not really in a state to speak.

"What? What do you need?" Valentina asked still out of breath.

Juliana reached for Valentina's hand not trusting her voice to convey what she wanted. She guided Valentina's hand in between her legs and pushed down hard against it. Valentina gasped when she felt how wet the other woman was and she started to move her fingers through Juliana's folds. She felt Juliana press down more against her fingers and from the sounds coming from the woman, Valentina knew she was close. She moved her fingers through her folds again before she slipped two long fingers inside her. Juliana moaned and started riding Valentina's fingers desperately needing release. Valentina moved her thumb so it brushed against Juliana's clit and with a few more thrusts Juliana fell over the edge as well and collapsed on top of the other woman who was still panting hard.

Valentina pulled her fingers out slowly which made Juliana shiver and she breathed hard against Valentina's neck. Valentina entangled the fingers of her other hand in Juliana's hair and kissed the side of her head. Juliana moved down slightly so she came to lie with her head on Valentina's chest and could hear her rapid heartbeat that slowly was settling down. After a moment Juliana lifted her head and met Valentina's eyes. 

"I've never felt this way before..." Valentina said seriously and gazed into Juliana's eyes.

"Neither have I..." Juliana said tenderly.

"I just want to go away with you... Somewhere far away where I don't have to think of the mess that's about to happen, the mess that's already happened and it's about to become worse..." Valentina said and looked away from Juliana's eyes.

Juliana moved her head so Valentina would meet her eyes again. She lifted her hand and caressed her hair with her fingers.

"Running away isn't going to make anything easier, though I would really like that too. But we have to face the world at some point and it might as well be best to just get it over with. Like you said, it's already a mess and it's about to become worse." Juliana said.

Valentina nodded and averted her eyes again. Juliana was right, she knew that but still, she just wanted to get away from everything and never look back.

"No matter what, I'm here… I'm not going anywhere okay?"

Valentina found her eyes again. She just looked at the other woman for a moment and saw nothing but sincerity and affection reflecting back.

"Okay…" She placed a soft lingering kiss on Juliana's lips before Juliana put her head down on the taller woman's chest and closed her eyes.

Valentina wrapped her arms around Juliana and pulled her closer. Laying there, hearing the sound of Juliana's soft breaths as sleep started to claim her filled Valentina with a calm she wished she could hold on to forever.


	14. Chapter 14

The next couple of days they stayed at Juliana's place and Valentina was so happy. Being with Juliana made her heart soar and when they were together it was like nothing else in the world mattered. But after spending a few days in a bubble of bliss, the cloud constantly hanging over her head was getting harder to ignore.

Valentina knew she was postponing the inevitable but she had no idea how to even begin having that conversation with her father. She wanted to postpone it as much as she possibly could but she also realized that she should deal with it sooner rather than later. Also, Valentina had another week left before she had to return to work which she dreaded because she couldn't stay with Juliana once she went back to work. And she had no idea how she was going to fix the living situation back home, staying at her and Lucho's house was out of the question that much she knew.

"What are you thinking about?" Juliana asked softly as she wrapped her arms around Valentina's waist and hugged her from behind.

Valentina was standing by the living room window looking out over the city while she was deep in thoughts. She instantly relaxed in Juliana's arms and put her hands on the other woman's forearms and stroked her skin.

"I was just thinking about how I have to return home soon... and I really don't want that..." she answered.

"I know... I wish you could stay here but I know you can't..." Juliana said.

"Yeah. I'm just thinking about a lot of practical things you know, like where I'm going to live and I have to talk to Lucho about the house but I don't want to." Valentina admitted.

"I wish there was something I could do." Juliana said and kissed her cheek.

"You're already doing so much Juls." Valentina said and turned around in Juliana's arms.

She met her eyes and just looked into those beautiful brown eyes for a moment. She leaned forward and captured the brunette's lips with her own and kissed her softly. She slowly pulled back and met Juliana's eyes again.

"They're still at the cabin right?" Valentina asked referring to her father and Lupita.

"Yes, mom said they would stay for at least another week. Are you thinking about going up there to talk to Leon? Cause if you do I want to be there." Juliana said.

"I am thinking about that and I really want you there, I do, but I have to do this alone. I know how he's going to react and I don't want to put you through that." Valentina said.

"Val...I don't like the thought of you having to do this alone." Juliana said sincerely.

"I don't think I can stay here while you're about to do one of the hardest thing you'll ever have to do. I can't..." Juliana pleaded.

“I don't have to come with you to the cabin, but I can stay close? Please Val?” Juliana looked at the other woman with such vulnerability.

"Okay." Valentina said and kissed her again.

"I'm gonna call dad."

Juliana nodded and gave the other woman another kiss before she let her go.

Valentina went to get her phone from the kitchen and then returned to the living room with the device close to her ear. Her heart was beating so fast and she was so nervous she thought she would start to cry the second she heard her father's voice on the other side of the line.

"Dad? Hi it's me." she said, trying to keep a steady voice.

"Valentina, hello sweetheart. Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, yes. Everything is fine. Dad?... I... I need to talk to you about something so I was thinking about coming up to the cabin tomorrow." she said trying so hard to keep it together.

"Okay? Is something the matter? Has something happened? Are you alright?" her dad asked with a slightly worried tone.

"I'm fine dad, I just... I just have to tell you something and I don't want to do it over the phone. Don't worry, okay?" she said.

"Okay. Is Lucho coming with you?" Leon asked and Valentina felt a pang of guilt and was very close to losing it.

"Uhm, no... It's just me. Listen, I'll tell you everything tomorrow. I have to go now." she said, desperately wanting to end the call.

"Okay. Well, see you tomorrow then sweetheart." Leon said.

"Dad?..."

"Yes?"

"I love you..."

"I love you to Valentina." Leon said back slightly confused.

She usually never said that to him over the phone, well very rarely all together so something was definitely up with his girl that much he was sure of.

"Bye, see you tomorrow." Valentina said and ended the call.

Juliana had listened to the entire conversation and made her way over to the couch where Valentina was seated, once she finished the call.

"You okay?" she asked tentatively.

"No... but there's no going back now...Tomorrow I'm telling my father that I'm leaving my fiance ... because I want to be with you..." she said and tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

She looked at Juliana and felt tears starting to fill up her eyes. She wrapped her arms around Juliana and buried her face in the crock of the brunette's neck. Juliana kissed her hair and held her tight.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Leon walked into the kitchen where Lupita was preparing dinner.

"Valentina's coming up here tomorrow, she wanted to talk to me about something." Leon said.

Lupita instantly felt guilty for lying to him but there was nothing else she could do.

"That's nice. It will be good to see her again." Lupita said and smiled.

"Yes, but something is up though. She didn't sound like her old self but she told me not to worry so I'm sure it's nothing bad." Leon said and Lupita only prayed that Leon would handle the news well but she had a feeling he wouldn't.

Leon stood beside her deep in thoughts for a moment before he suddenly proclaimed.

"What if she's pregnant Lupita? What if that's what she's coming to tell me? Could it really be such great news?" Leon said kind of ecstatic and Lupita felt an ever bigger pang of guilt hit her.

Leon chuckled and pulled his fiancée in for a hug.

"What if I'm going to be a grandfather Lupita?" he said joyfully.

Lupita hugged him back hoping against all hope that the news Leon was about to receive wouldn't destroy the relationship she had with him but she was really afraid it could come to that once he found out that she's known what's been going on the whole time.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Valentina was fidgeting the whole drive, she was feeling sick almost, Juliana put a hand on the other woman's thigh and felt Valentina grab her hand instantly.

"You okay?" she asked tentatively.

"Not really... but... there's no turning back now..." Valentina said and met Juliana's eyes briefly.

"I really wish you would let me come with you to the cabin..."

"Juls..." Valentina pleaded.

"I know I know... it's probably not the best idea but I want to be there for you..." Juliana said as she pulled up outside a café and turned the engine off. She turned to the other woman who was still holding on to her hand tightly and brought the other hand up to cup Valentina's cheek.

"At least you're here, you're not four hours away. Just knowing that gives me strength to actually do this." Valentina said and looked deep into Juliana's eyes.

"Just... just promise that you'll call me if you need me, okay? I'll make it there somehow, but promise me you'll call me." Juliana said seriously.

Valentina just looked at her and saw so many emotions reflected in Juliana's brown eyes. She slowly leaned forward and kissed her tenderly.

"I promise." she whispered against Juliana's lips before she kissed her again.

"Okay... Thank you." Juliana said as she pulled back and met Valentina's eyes again.

"What do you say about getting something to eat before you continue?" Juliana suggested and played with Valentina's fingers.

"I don't think I can eat to be honest but maybe I'll just have some coffee." the other woman replied.

Juliana kissed her softly before she unfastened both of their seat belts and stepped out of the car.

After a very drawn-out coffee break and an even more drawn-out goodbye, Valentina left Juliana behind and started to drive the last few miles to Lupita's cabin.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

When she stepped out of her car memories of what happened last time she was at the cabin washed over her. As she walked towards the cabin she glanced at the boat house and remembered the night she spent there with Juliana. Thinking about it and everything else that had happened after that, she felt even more certain that she'd made the right decision, as if it was a decision in the first place. Juliana had stolen her heart so completely and Valentina had been hers since that first day. Those feelings gave her more courage to face her dad and actually tell him about how her life had taken a completely different and unexpected turn but how she would never ever want to change it back to how it was before.

Lupita came out of the cabin with a laundry basket and instantly spotted the very nervous looking Valentina walking slowly towards the cabin. She put the basket down on the porch and walked down to greet the young woman.

"Valentina. Hi sweetheart." Lupita said as she embraced the other woman.

"Hi Lupita. So good to see you." Valentina replied and hugged the older woman back.

"How are you?" Lupita asked.

"Uhm... Honestly, not so good...I'm terrified really..." Valentina answered honestly.

Lupita rubbed Valentina's upper arms encouraging.

"No matter what happens I'll always be here okay? You can always come to me." Lupita said sincerely.

She didn't really trust her voice to reply to that, she was so incredibly moved by this woman's warmth and by how much she really cared. She just nodded and bit her lower lip, feeling slightly overwhelmed but also nervous beyond words.

"Thank you Lupita." She managed to say and gave the older woman a small smile.

Before Lupita could say anything else Leon suddenly stepped out of the cabin carrying a bunch of fishing equipment which he instantly put down when he noticed that his daughter had arrived.

With a big smile on his face he joined his soon to be wife on the lawn and gave his daughter a big hug.

"Hello sweetheart!" he said still smiling.

"Hi dad." Valentina replied feeling like she was about to have a minor panic attack at any second.

Lupita noticed the change in Valentina's appearance the moment Leon joined them and seeing how terrified the younger woman looked, she deiced to return her attention to the laundry.

"I'm gonna let you two talk alone, I have some laundry that wont hang itself." she said and smiled before she excused herself and returned to the cabin porch to get the laundry basket.

Valentina watched her leave and all she wanted was to ask her to stay, she wanted her support but at the same time she knew she had to do this alone. She swallowed hard and met her father's eyes.

"Shall we go down to the lake?" Leon suggested.

"Yeah..." Valentina replied.

Leon put his arm around Valentina's shoulder and smiled as they walked down to the lake oblivious of how his daughter was struggling to keep it together.

"So, what did you have to tell me?" Leon asked as they reached the lake and walked out on the pier to take a seat at one of the two small benches that were placed there facing the water.

"I... uhm... I don't really know how to start..." Valentina started.

"It's just me Valentina, you know you can tell me anything." Leon said encouraging.

Valentina looked down at her hands trying to find an appropriate way to start this conversation but realized rather quickly that there really is no appropriate way to tell your father you've fallen in love with a woman. Just thinking about how to even formulate words that would make any sense made her nervousness escalate even more, how that even was possible.

Leon noticed that his daughter didn't really look and act like herself, she seemed very nervous and he started to think that maybe the news he was hoping for wasn't the kind of news he would get. Something felt a little 'off' but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

"Dad... I... I'm... I... I don't know how to tell you this..." she said with a big lump in her throat.

Leon looked at his daughter and met her eyes. He noticed the expression on his daughter's face and how she looked kind of terrified. Whatever 'news' she was going to tell him wouldn't be the good kind of news that much was perfectly clear now.

"What has happened Valentina?" he asked a little worried.

Valentina looked up and met her fathers concerning eyes. God how would she ever be able to tell him this? Tears slowly started to escape her eyes which Leon noticed.

"Honey... What's wrong? You're scaring me here." Leon admitted and took his daughter's hand.

"Uhm... You're going to hate me..." she said and then she couldn't hold back the tears anymore and she started to cry.

Leon was beyond confused. Why was she crying? He didn't understand.

"Hate you? How could you ever think I could hate you? You're my daughter, I love you no matter what." Leon said and Valentina chuckled to herself through her tears.

"I'm... I'm leaving Lucho..." she started not knowing how she would have the confident to tell him the rest.

"What?" Leon said not quite sure he heard right.

Tears wear running down Valentina's cheeks as she watched the look of utter surprise on her father's face.

"You're  _leaving_ Lucho? What? How... I-I mean what on earth happened?" Leon asked clearly confused.

"I... God... I just...I...uhm..." Valentina couldn't make one coherent sentence.

"I... I fell in love with someone else..." Valentina cried and thought her heart would jump out of her chest cause it was pounding so hard, she was so nervous.

"You what? How on earth did that happen? And when? Valentina I'm... Have you really thought this thing through? You were about to get married, I thought you were happy. I don't understand... You're in love with someone else?" Leon said not quite believing what he was hearing.

Valentina looked down at her hands and just nodded slowly. She slowly looked up and met her father's puzzled eyes again.

"I... I am... and I have thought this through... I thought I was happy, I really did but now I realize that I haven't been truly happy for a long time. Lucho is an amazing guy and I hate myself for doing this to him but I can't pretend to be someone I'm not. I can't stay with him just because that's what everybody else expects me to do... I can't do that dad... It's not fair to him and it's not fair to me... He's not who I want to spend my life with..." Valentina explained while she wiped her cheeks from the never ending trail of tears.

Leon was shocked to say the least, he loved Lucho. He was like a son to him and to hear that Valentina was leaving him because she was in love with someone else was not an easy thing to take in.

"So... so this new guy you're suddenly in love with?  _He's_  who you want to spend your life with?" Leon asked utterly confused by this 'news'.

Valentina just looked at her father.  _This is it.. _.__ but before she could open her mouth Leon continued.

"I'm sorry sweetheart I'm just having a hard time taking all this in. It came as a complete shock. I thought you and Lucho were really happy... Who's this new guy? Where did you meet him?" Leon asked.

_God how do I tell him this?..._

"I understand that this comes as a shock to you and I know how much you care about Lucho and I'm sorry... I really am...I... I just have to do what makes me happy and Lucho... Lucho is not what makes me happy... and you have to know that I didn't plan this okay? I didn't plan to fall head over heels in love with someone else but I have... I have dad, and nothing has ever felt so right in my life..." Valentina said.

"All I ever want is for you to be happy Valentina." Leon said sincerely.

"I am dad... I am so happy but... but there's one more thing I have to tell you and before I do just know that I love you dad and that I never ever want to let you down or make you disappointed...Just please please try not to hate me..." Valentina pleaded as her voice broke.

Leon had no idea what was going on with his daughter and why she was talking like this.

"There's no new guy dad..." she started.

"What? There's not? But you just said... I don't unders-" Valentina interrupted him.

"Please I have to say this without you interrupting me...Please... It's hard enough as it is, just... just let me say this and then... well...Just listen to me okay?

Leon just nodded as he watched his daughter struggle with whatever it was she was about to tell him.

"There's no new guy... I have left Lucho because I am in love with someone else but... but that someone else is... is...God..." she had to take a breath before she could continue.

"That someone else is a... is a woman..."

There, she said it. She told her father and now she would just wait for hell to break loose...

Leon wasn't sure he'd actually heard correct but judging by the look on his daughter's face and the tears streaming down her cheeks, he realized that what he just heard was in fact correct.

Saying that he was shocked was the understatement of the year. He couldn't even come up with anything to reply to that.

"I know I'm letting you down... I know that and I'm not asking you to just accept this but I had to tell you the truth and now I have... I don't know where this came from but I've never felt so strongly for anyone else ever before..." she said crying.

"I... I don't know what to say..." Leon said with a distant look on his face.

Valentina could see that so many thoughts were going through his head right now.

"Who... who is she?..." he asked after a couple of minutes silence.

Valentina looked up and met her father's questioning eyes and though he hadn't really said anything to her, she could see that he was disappointed and that made her hesitate to tell him the rest but she had to do it.

"Well?" Leon asked while his mind was working in overdrive trying to make sense out of something.

"Uhm... it's..." she started, for a second feeling a little hesitant about actually telling her father that it was Juliana. She could lie and say it was just someone he doesn't know but the truth would come out sooner or later and no matter how much she feared his reaction she had to tell him this last but maybe most important part.

"It's... it's Juliana..."

Leon's eyes widened as he heard the name of Valentina's new love interest.

"Juliana? As in Lupita's daughter?!" he all but shouted.

Valentina only nodded.

"Have you lost your mind completely?! You're leaving Lucho, your fiance, for Juliana? Whom you've known for how long? Are you crazy?!" he said getting more and more upset.

"I'm in love with her dad..." she said quietly desperately trying to not completely break down in front of her father.

Leon just snorted and shook his head in disbelief.

"Valentina this is insane you realize that right? How can you sit here and tell me you're in love with Lupita's daughter? Don't you hear how completely absurd it sounds?" Leon spat out.

Valentina was crying now and though she knew that this was coming she'd really hoped he would have reacted differently.

"You don't have to tell me that it sounds absurd, I'm very much aware of that and yes, it probably is completely fucking crazy but that doesn't change the way I feel about her. I love her. I want to be with her and I can very much picture myself spending the rest of my life with her and I get that you'll never accept that but this is how I feel dad. This is my feelings and they're not gonna change. I'm sorry I'm letting you down but I had to tell you this... I just hope... I just hope that one day you won't hate me as much as you do right now..."


	15. Chapter 15

She didn't even wait for her father to reply to that, she didn't want to hear it. She got up from the bench and walked away.

Lupita had watched the interaction between her fiance and his daughter from a far while she was hanging up the laundry and she had a feeling that Leon would not take the news Valentina would tell him particularly good. Not that he had ever said anything disrespectful about Juliana being gay but finding out that his daughter was in love with another woman and not just  _any_ woman, his soon to be wife's daughter... that would come as a shock to anybody.

Looking up towards the pier again she noticed that Valentina was walking away from Leon in quite a hurry and that she looked rather upset. She dropped the piece of clothing she held in her hand and hurried after the young woman.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Valentina never looked back, she just wanted to get away from it all and she really needed Juliana. When she reached her car and was about to open the door the sound of someone calling her name stopped her.

"Valentina wait, please!" Lupita called out.

Valentina watched Lupita approach her and she wiped her eyes, not that it would hide that fact that she'd been crying for most of the conversation with her father. Lupita reached the other woman and instantly saw her swollen eyes and realized that telling Leon hadn't gone so well.

"What did he say?" Lupita asked carefully.

"That it was insane... that I couldn't possibly be in love with Juliana cause I've just met her... Basically he told me I was throwing my life away, meaning I should marry Lucho cause that is the right thing to do, in his world... He'll never come to terms with this Lupita... He'll never accept this..." Valentina said as she started to cry again. Lupita pulled her into her arms and held her tight.

"I'm gonna talk to him sweetie. It's all going to be alright." Lupita said reassuringly.

Valentina pulled away and met Lupita's eyes.

"I'm not so sure it will Lupita..." she said and wiped her eyes again.

"Is there anything I can do?" the older woman asked.

"No... I just need Juliana right now..." Valentina said and got into her car and took off leaving a cloud of dust behind her. Lupita just stood and watched her leave.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Valentina didn't even know how she managed to drive back to where Juliana was waiting but somehow she did and when she'd parked her car, she texted Juliana that she had returned. She didn't trust her voice to even try and call her.

Juliana was walking around, deep in thoughts when her phone beeped. As she read the message she hurried back to the parking lot where they'd decided to meet up.

Valentina was trying so hard to keep it together as she sat in her car and waited for Juliana but as soon as she spotted the brunette coming towards her she completely broke down and got out of the car to fall into Juliana's arms. Juliana held the crying woman tight in her arms and they just stood there beside Valentina's car and held each other until Valentina slowly started to calm down a little.

When Juliana felt how Valentina's body slowly started to relax she pulled back and met her eyes. It killed her to see so much pain in those beautiful blue eyes and she would've done anything to take the pain away.

"He thinks it's insane, that what I'm feeling for you is absurd..." Valentina said with a shaky voice.

"Val... It's not absurd. These are _your_ feelings, yours. No one else can ever tell you what you should or shouldn't feel." Juliana said softly, hoping her words could offer the other woman some sort of comfort.

Juliana cupped Valentina's cheeks and looked deep into her eyes hoping her love for the other woman would be reflected in her eyes.

"Everything is going to be okay... We're going to get through this together okay? You are not alone in this, I am right here with you and I will never leave your side. We're going to get through this..." Juliana said and for the first time in what felt like an eternity Valentina smiled and pulled the other woman closer again.

"I don't know what I'd do without you right now... I need you... I need you so much and I need you to be strong for me now..." Valentina said and held the brunette even tighter.

"I can do that." Juliana said and kissed her hair gently.

"Come on... let's get out of here." Juliana said and guided Valentina over to the passenger seat before she got in on the driver's side.

Before she started the engine she turned and looked at Valentina who looked out the window with a somewhat distant look.

"What are you thinking?" Juliana asked softly and reached for Valentina's hand.

Valentina turned her head and met Juliana's eyes and smiled weakly.

"Just that despite everything, despite the fact that dad probably hates me now I feel... I don't know...  _relieved_ that it's all out there, I feel relieved that dad knows everything now and no matter how he feels about it, he knows the truth..." Valentina answered and the brunette smiled lovingly.

"That's good. That's a good thing that you're feeling that way, it only proves that you made the right decision telling him." Juliana said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right..." Valentina said.

"I'm always right." Juliana said cocky and winked which made the brunette shove her playfully in the arm.

"Yeah yeah, just shut up and start the car." Valentina said and chuckled.

Juliana laughed, glad that she'd managed to make the other woman smile again.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Back at the cabin after Valentina had left, Lupita had made her way over to the pier where her fiance was still sitting, looking deep in thought. She slowly approached him and sat down next to him on the bench.

She didn't know what to say, how to start this conversation and truthfully she was terrified of what would happen once he realized that she'd known about this from the start.

"Did you know about this Lupita?" he asked and brought Lupita back from her thoughts.

She turned to the left and met her fiances blue eyes. Looking at the man she loved so dearly she knew she couldn't lie to him. She had to tell him the truth and hope that he would understand why she didn't say anything to him.

"Yes..." she answered truthfully.

Leon just looked at his fiancee and nodded slowly as she told him what he'd expected her to tell him. That she already knew about his daughter and Juliana's affair. Cause that's what it was right? An affair. It couldn't be love, they hardly even knew each other.

Lupita held her breath as she waited for her fiance to say something.

When Valentina walked away Leon had thought about everything his daughter had told him and rather quickly realized that Lupita probably already knew about it. He knew how close she and Juliana were and there was no way Lupita wouldn't know about this. He was hurt though, hurt that she hadn't told him.

"I figured you might know..." he said.

"Leon, I couldn't tell you. It wasn't my place, Valentina had to be the one to tell you this." Lupita said hoping he would understand.

"We're getting married soon, we're not supposed to keep secrets from each other." Leon said clearly hurt.

"I know that but you have to understand that this was a special situation. How could I tell you that your daughter has fallen in love with my daughter? You have to understand Leon that it wasn't my place to te-"

"Valentina is not in love with Juliana!" Leon interrupted and Lupita's heart broke a little.

"She is Leon..." she said softly.

"Don't you hear how completely absurd it sounds? She can't be in love with Juliana and it's not cause she's a woman it's because they've only just met for Christ sake! Valentina and Lucho have been together for five years Lupita, five years! She can't just throw that away." Leon said.

"I know that they've just met but sometimes things happen that are beyond our control. Do you realize how much courage it took for Valentina to come here and tell you this? Her whole world has been turned completely upside down and everything is a complete mess for her right now but still she came here to tell you the truth and that has to tell you something? And Leon? You and I didn't exactly wait with our love did we? We fell in love quickly and then the rest happened really fast so I think you should think about that and then think about what your daughter is going through right now. Do you really think she would come here and open up to you so completely if she wasn't 100% sure of this? Sure of what it is she's feeling?" Lupita asked and Leon had to take a moment to try and comprehend what Lupita was telling him. She had a valid point but he still couldn't help but think that Valentina was making a huge mistake.

"Can you just... can you just give me a moment? I'm not mad at you for keeping this from me, I understand your reasons but I am hurt so could you just give me a moment, please?" Leon asked.

Lupita nodded and left Leon alone on the pier.

She felt relieved that he wasn't mad at her but she realized that he would probably feel hurt and be disappointed with her for some time. It did feel like she got her message through though and she really hoped that he would eventually come to accept this, accept his daughter for who she is.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

Juliana parked Valentina's car at the guest parking space and turned the ignition off. She looked over at the sleeping woman who had fallen asleep about an hour after Juliana started their drive back to Juliana's apartment. God she was so beautiful... Juliana couldn't stop looking at her.

"I can't believe you're mine..." she whispered and lifted her hand to caress soft honey brown hair.

She just looked at her and continued to stroke her hair for another minute then she slowly started to wake the sleeping beauty.

"Val..." she said gently and touched the other woman's face.

Valentina started to stir and turned her head to meet Juliana's warm brown eyes which instantly brought a smile to her face.

"Hey... Where are we?" Valentina asked a little sleepy.

"We're outside my condo." Juliana replied and smiled back.

"What? Did I sleep that long? Why didn't you wake me?" the other woman asked puzzled.

Juliana chuckled and stroked Valentina's cheek tenderly.

"Yes you did but obviously you needed it. And you looked so peaceful, I didn't have the heart to wake you." Juliana said softly.

Valentina smiled before she stretched and readjusted herself in the seat and then turned to Juliana and met her eyes.

"Juls...Thank you for coming. I know I said I wanted to go by myself cause I needed to do this alone but... I'm really glad you were there." Valentina said.

Juliana nodded slowly.

"I'm glad you let me come with you, I would not have been able to stay here while you had to go through everything alone." Juliana said seriously.

Valentina just looked at her and couldn't believe how she'd ever been so lucky to meet someone as amazing as the woman in front of her. She leaned forward slowly and Juliana met her halfway and captured her lips.

They kissed slowly and tenderly, their lips moved slowly against each other and as Valentina's tongue gently grazed Juliana's upper lip the brunette parted her lips and let the other woman's tongue sneak into her mouth. Feeling Valentina's tongue move painfully slow against her own made Juliana feel tingly all over and she needed to be closer. She put her hand behind the other woman's neck to pull her as close as she could as she deepened the kiss. It wasn't enough, she wanted more.

"Let's go inside..." Juliana breathed against Valentina's mouth.

Valentina nodded and they got out of the car. Juliana walked over to Valentina and kissed her softly before leaning her forehead against hers. She nuzzled Valentina's nose and kissed her again so tenderly, Valentina lifted her hands and ran her fingers through Juliana's soft dark hair as she pulled back to look into her eyes. Valentina felt her heart fill with emotions as Juliana's dark eyes looked so intensely at her, she wanted to say something but no words came out. She reached for Juliana's hand and entwined their fingers and pulled her with her towards the entrance to the building.

Juliana's heart was beating so fast when they stood and waited for the elevator to come down, she felt like she was about to explode with what she was feeling for this woman. Valentina stood so close to her, she could feel the heat from her body and the smell of her hair and the way Valentina's fingers were playing with her own. The air around them was filled with a need to be closer to each other and when they finally stepped inside the elevator and the doors closed behind them, Juliana pulled Valentina against her and kissed her deeply.

They didn't even notice when the elevator reached Juliana's floor and the elevator doors opened. Luckily no one was outside the doors and when they noticed they had reached their floor they reluctantly broke the kiss but Valentina wouldn't let Juliana move away from her. Stepping off the elevator Valentina wrapped her arms around Juliana from behind and they giggled as they awkwardly walked the short distance over to Juliana's door. Valentina brushed Juliana's hair to the side and started pressing delicate kisses on the side of her neck which made the shorter woman fumble with the keys to open the door.

Her hands were shaking from the sensation of having Valentina's lips caressing her skin and when the taller woman gently bit down where her neck meets her shoulder Juliana dropped her keys.

"Val..." she stuttered.

Valentina didn't stop, instead she started sucking on Juliana's skin as her teeth nibbled the sensitive flesh. She could hear Juliana's heavy breathing and when she let her tongue run over the spot where she'd just left a visible mark, Juliana couldn't take it any longer. She turned in Valentina's arms and crashed their mouths together, when Valentina gasped Juliana used the opportunity so slip her tongue inside. She kissed her till she was starting to lose her breath and as she pulled away she quickly picked up her keys so they could continue this inside.

Juliana closed the door behind them and the second it clicked shut Valentina's mouth was on her again. Juliana started to work on getting Valentina's clothes off which the other woman was happy to assist with in between working on removing Juliana's clothes as well.

Never breaking the kiss Valentina moved them towards Juliana's bedroom leaving trails of clothes behind them. Finally reaching the bed Valentina pushed the other woman down before she climbed on top of her and crashed their lips together again. Her right hand started to wander down till she reached Juliana's underwear that was the last remaining piece of clothing on the brunette. She started to tug Juliana's underwear down and as soon as it was off her fingers found warmth and wetness and the brunette gasped into Valentina's mouth as the other woman slowly entered her. Wanting the other woman to feel what she was feeling she reached down with one hand and found the place that ached to be touched.

Both women were breathing heavily into each other's mouths as they continued to thrust slowly against each other. Valentina was still half on top of the brunette and only stopped kissing her when the need for air became too strong.

With a final thrust Valentina sent Juliana over the edge and as she felt the brunette's walls close around her fingers she too was pushed over the edge and felt her own walls tighten around Juliana's fingers that were still moving slowly inside her. It was a feeling she could never even begin to describe and she shivered as Juliana slowly extracted her fingers and wrapped both arms around her and held her tight against her own body.

"You have no idea how happy you make me..." Valentina whispered against Juliana's ear.

Juliana shivered beneath her and Valentina was filled with even more love for this woman holding her tight. She lifted her head so she could meet Juliana's dark brown eyes. She loved Juliana's eyes, she found herself drowning in those dark eyes of hers over and over again and suddenly she felt like she couldn't hold all these feelings inside anymore. She wanted the other woman to know how much she really felt for her.

You're the best thing that's ever happened to me..." Valentina whispered.

"Juls...I love you..."

Juliana gasped hearing those word fall from Valentina's lips. For a moment she couldn't even find her voice, she lifted her hands and let her fingers entangle in Valentina's hair as her eyes took her in. She pulled Valentina's face down and captured her lips in a tender kiss. Pulling back slowly Juliana found her eyes again.

"I love you too" Juliana whispered back with so much emotion.

Valentina buried her face in the crook of Juliana's neck and felt so loved and safe when Juliana wrapped her arms around her again.


	16. Chapter 16

It was Sunday afternoon and they were having dinner. Valentina hadn't talked to her father since she revealed the truth to him. Juliana had spoken to Lupita though and she said that they should lay low and let Leon get his head around everything. Valentina felt as if the ball was in his court now, she'd told him the truth and the rest was up to him.

Juliana was going back to work tomorrow but they'd already decided that Valentina would stay with Juliana for at least another week. The following week Valentina's vacation was over and she had to return to work. She didn't even want to think about that but knew she was going to have to deal with it soon.

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The week passed way too fast for Valentina's liking, and Juliana's too for that matter. Juliana had returned to work and Valentina had been trying to keep busy at Juliana's apartment. She'd cleaned and done the laundry and visited the recycling station but when Wednesday came Juliana's apartment was beyond clean and it was just ridiculous to clean it again for the sake of keeping herself busy.

The rest of the week she'd done everything and nothing trying to occupy the days with something while Juliana was working and before she knew it, it was Sunday again and she had to go home. She was inside Juliana's bedroom packing her stuff into her bag. Juliana stopped by the doorway and just looked at the other woman for a moment before she walked over to her and wrapped her arms around Valentina's waist from behind. Valentina was a little startled but instantly relaxed in Juliana's arms.

"Are you okay?" Juliana said gently.

"Not really, but there's nothing I can do about this situation..." Valentina said and sighed.

Juliana held her tighter and placed a kiss on the side of her head.

"God I wish I could come with you... I hate the thought of you going back there all by yourself." Juliana said and placed another tender kiss on Valentina's head.

Valentina turned in Juliana's arms and put her own arms around Juliana's neck and met her eyes.

"I know... and I really wish you could come with me too Juls but you can't... It will be okay..." Valentina said, not sounding too convincing when she said that last part.

"Have you decided where you're gonna stay?" Juliana asked.

"No...not yet... I'll just see how I feel when I get back." Valentina answered.

Juliana nodded then closed the distance between them and gave the other woman a soft kiss.

"I'm going to miss you so much..." Juliana whispered as she met Valentina's eyes again.

Valentina pulled the other woman close and held her tight. She really didn't want to leave.

"I'm gonna miss you too... so so much..." she said softly and placed a kiss on Juliana's neck.

She pulled back and met Juliana's eyes then she kissed her tenderly. Juliana pulled her closer and deepened the kiss briefly before slowly pulling back. When they parted they rested their foreheads against each other's, their eyes still closed. Juliana was playing with a strand of Valentina's hair.

"I should get going... it's only going to be harder to say goodbye to you if I prolong it... So I'm gonna go..." Valentina said and stepped out of Juliana's embrace.

"Okay..." Juliana said quietly as she watched the other woman return her focus to the bag on the bed.

Valentina packed her last pieces of clothing into the bag and zipped it shut. She picked it up and turned around to face Juliana again. She swallowed hard before she spoke, trying to keep it together.

"Thanks for everything Juliana, I don't know what I would've have done without you and-"

Juliana interrupted her and took hold of her shoulders gently.

"Don't talk like that, like we're saying goodbye. This is not a goodbye Val, okay? Everything will be okay, we'll find a way to be together. We'll work something out. You going back is not goodbye, it's just temporary till we can come up with something." Juliana said and looked into beautiful blue eyes that were filling up with tears.

"Hey... don't cry..." Juliana said and pulled the other woman close to her.

"If you cry I'm gonna cry and I don't want to cry." Juliana continued and kissed the side of Valentina's head. Valentina chuckled against Juliana's shoulder.

"I won't cry." she said and pulled back to wipe her eyes before the threatening tears would fall.

"But I am gonna go now cause I know for a fact that I won't be able to hold it back for much longer..." Valentina continued and kissed Juliana tenderly before she left the brunette standing alone in the bedroom while she made her way out of Juliana's apartment building.

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It was pretty late when Valentina turned onto the road that led to her and Lucho's house. She didn't know when she'd decided that she would go back to her home, where Lucho would be, but somewhere during the long drive back she decided that she would take her chance and go home. She really didn't have anywhere else to go, her brother was still away on vacation and going to her sister was out of the question. All her friends were also Lucho's friends, other couples that they hung out with on a regular basis and though they all were really nice and sweet she didn't feel comfortable with confiding in any of them about this new situation that had occurred. She was fairly certain than Lucho hadn't said anything to their friends either. Her two closest and best friends lived across the country and she really wished they would be closer, especially now.

Turning off the engine she took a deep breath and braced herself before she slowly stepped out of the car, grabbed her bag and walked towards the front door. She quickly realized that Lucho was home cause she saw reflections of light from the TV when she looked through the small window on the large wooden door. Taking another deep breath she put the key in the lock and slowly turned till she heard a clicking sound that indicated that the door was unlocked. She pushed the handle down and opened the door instantly hearing the sound coming from the TV and she suddenly felt very nervous with the fact that she would see Lucho again.

Lucho though he heard something and got up from the couch. He was shocked to see Valentina standing in the hallway.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Valentina looked at him, she couldn't quite read him and the tone of his voice didn't indicate anything either. Still, she prepared for a coming outburst.

"It's my house too Lucho." she simply answered.

"Oh, so your little trip to 'Lesbianville' is already over? Let me guess? You weren't gay enough for her, you realized that something was missing so you decided to come crawling back to me?" he said spiteful.

Valentina just looked at him, she didn't recognize the man standing in front of her. Lucho had never talked to her like this ever before. He'd never been mean to her and she knew he was hurting but it still surprised her that the man she spent five years of her life with would feel like a complete stranger.

"I didn't come here to fight with you, I know you're hurt and I know that you don't want me here but I live here too. This is my house too and if you can't handle me being here I suggest you leave. I'm gonna go to the guest room, you can either pack up and leave or continue to watch the game. It's your call." she said and walked past him.

Lucho stood and watched Valentina walk into the guest room and close the door behind her. He hadn't expected her to say that and he stood debating on whether to pack up and leave or just go back to watching the game and just ignore the fact that his fiancee, well ex-fiancee now, was back in the house.

He thought about it for a moment and then returned to the living room to watch the end of the game. As he sat in front of the TV he hardly even registered that the game was over. Why had Valentina come back? Did she realize she'd made a big mistake? Did she want another chance with him, was that why she was here? Thousands of thoughts were running through his mind and he knew he wouldn't be able to think about anything else until he got some answers.

Slowly he made his way over to the guest room and raised his hand to knock on the door but hesitated. He wasn't sure this was such a good idea but then again, he had to get some answers so he knocked.

Valentina was surprised to hear a knock on the door, she thought for sure Lucho would either leave the house or try his damnedest to avoid her.

"Valentina? Can we talk?" she heard him say from outside the door.

She walked over to the door and slowly turned the knob and opened the door.

"I don't know Lucho... I've just spent several hours on the road, I'm tired and I really don't have the energy to fight with you." she answered.

"I just want to talk." he said.

"Okay..." Valentina replied and walked past him and into the kitchen where she started to make some coffee.

Lucho followed her and leaned against the door frame and watched Valentina who stood by the counter. As she turned around she noticed that Lucho was looking at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing." he said quickly and averted his eyes.

"Okay. So talk." she said and took a seat by the kitchen table.

Lucho waited for a moment before he slowly made his way over to the kitchen table himself and sat down on the other side.

"I just... Why did you come back?" he asked somewhat hesitatingly.

"I'm going back to work tomorrow." she simply answered and saw that that was not the answer he wanted to hear.

"Oh.. right... work." he said feeling really stupid for asking. If he'd taken a second to think he would've remembered that.

"What? Did you think I came back for you?" she asked and looked at him.

"No." he answered way too quickly but Valentina decided she wasn't going to push it.

There was a moments silence, the only sound that filled the room was the sound of the coffee brewing. Lucho looked at his hands and seemed to be having thousands of thoughts. Valentina couldn't stand the awkwardness that was slowly growing so she got up and went to grab a cup from the cupboard and then went to stand in front of the coffee machine as if watching the thing would make the coffee finish sooner.

Finally after what seemed like forever it was done and she poured herself a large cup. Turning around she looked at Lucho who still seemed deep in thought.

"Do you want some coffee?" she asked and he looked up and met her eyes.

"Uh? Yeah, yes please." he said.

Valentina poured another cup and put in in front of Lucho then took a seat again.

"Thank you." he said and picked up the cup.

After taking a few slow sips he put the cup down and looked at Valentina.

"Are you really sure about this?" he asked.

Valentina met his eyes.

"What? Coming here? Well I didn't really have anywhere else to go so yeah." she replied.

"No, no... That's not what I mean. Are you sure about... about this Juliana thing?" he said with a hint of disgust in his voice.

"This 'Juliana-thing'?" she replied a little annoyed.

"I know you Vale, you're not gay. I know you're not. Look..." he started and reached for Valentina's hands which she quickly removed from the table.

"We were so good together Valentina and I know you still feel something for me deep inside" he got up from his side of the table and walked over to Valentina and got down on his knees in front of her.

"I can make you happy and I can take care of you if you just let me..." he continued and reached for her hand. This time Valentina let him take it.

"I love you. I love you so much and I know I can make you happy. We can work things out Valentina...I know we can. We belong together..." he said and cupped her face with his free hand.

Before she knew what happened, Lucho had moved forward and captured her lips with his own. She pushed him away and looked at him shocked.

"What the hell are you doing Lucho?" she said furiously.

"I love you Vale." Lucho replied and got up on his feet.

Valentina got up from the chair and was about to go back to the guest room when she felt Lucho take hold of her hand.

"Please... I know we can work it out."

"No Lucho, we can't work it out!" Valentina said and pulled her hand away from Lucho's.

"You know we're great together. You're not gay Valentina, look-"

"No you look! I didn't plan this okay? It just happened and I don't know if this makes me gay or bisexual or whatever, but what I do know is that I fell in love with Juliana! I'm in love with her Lucho and that's not gonna change. Maybe this has always been a part of me but I just didn't know about it until now. But Lucho, it's not gonna change, what I'm feeling for Juliana is ** _not_** gonna change. What we had together you and I was wonderful but we're over. And I know that deep down you're hoping that I'll 'come to my senses' and come back to you but that's not gonna happen. Me coming back now is only because I have to return to work tomorrow. That's the _ _only__  reason. If you'll excuse me I think I'm gonna go to bed now." she was so furious she couldn't stand to be in the same room as him anymore.

She just wanted to get the hell out of there and never go back. He could have the house, she didn't even care anymore but as she got into the guest room and slammed the door shut, she took a couple of deep breaths and started to calm down a little.

She really didn't want to fight with Lucho, she knew he was hurt but he'd really gone too far by kissing her.

She crashed down on top of the bed and picked up her phone. She debated on whether or not to call Juliana. She really wanted to hear her voice but she was afraid she would break down and start to cry if she did so she decided that a text message would be the best thing.

**_I made it home okay and I'm staying in the guest room in the house. Lucho's here but everything is alright, I'm alright. Sorry for sending you a text instead of calling you but I'm really tired and I'm also afraid I'll start to cry if I talk to you... I really really wish I was in your arms right now... xx_ **

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Juliana was sitting on the couch half watching some comedy show on TV when her phone beeped. She picked it up immediately. After reading Valentina's message she started to type her reply.

**_I'm glad you made it home safe and that you are alright. You know that you can call me at any time if you want to, okay? Just close your eyes and go to sleep and I'll be there holding you. Good night xx_ **


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, have had a busy couple of weeks

Valentina felt really nervous as she opened the door and stepped inside the building where she worked. Would her coworkers know about the new change in her life? She wasn't sure if Lucho had said anything to anybody. She didn't think he had but either way, rumors traveled fast and she was certain it would only be a matter of time before the news of her leaving Lucho would reach the people she worked with. Stepping into the staff canteen she was greeted by a couple of her coworkers who was sitting by a table drinking coffee. Gabriela Pérez and Sofia Rojas, the editorial office's largest gossips, beckoned her to come join them. Pouring herself a cup she took a seat at the same table.

"Hi Valentina, did you have a good vacation?" Gabriela asked joyful and sipped on her coffee.

Valentina smiled and took a sip of her own coffee before she answered.

"Yeah, it was good. Too short though."

"It's always too short." Sofia agreed.

"Did you go anywhere?" she asked.

"Uhm, yeah. We spent a couple of days at dad's fiancee's cabin." Valentina replied not wanting to go further with that topic.

The three women chatted for a while until it was time to start working. Valentina was relieved that no rumors seemed to be floating around the office. Unfortunately it would turn out that that was not the case.

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Valentina left the building at lunchtime to go out and buy some food. Meanwhile in the staff canteen Sofia Rojas had just returned with her lunch and spotted Gabriela sitting with a couple of other coworkers at a round table. She hurried over there and took a seat.

"You guys will  ** _not_**  believe what I just heard..."

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Valentina opened the door to the staff canteen carrying her food in one hand and a glass bottle of orange juice in the other. She saw her coworkers sitting by a table further in so she started to walk over there to join them when she heard Sofia Rojas' voice and the blood froze in her veins.

"... and apparently, and you're never gonna believe this, Valentina left Lucho for another  _woman_! Imagine the shock for poor Lucho... Finding out your fiancee is a lesbian."

The sound of glass crashing against the floor made everybody at the table turn around and standing a few feet from their table was a pale looking Valentina with pieces of glass and a pool of orange juice around her feet, together with the Caesar salad she was planning on having for lunch.

Sofia swallowed audible when she realized that the other woman had heard her and wondered how she could save the situation.

"Valentina, uhm you.." she started but before she could finish Valentina had turned around and walked away from the canteen.

She felt sick. She ran towards the restroom and stopped by the sink, bracing herself on her arms against the cool granite sink counter she tried to catch her breath. This could not be happening, she did not just hear Sofia Rojas gossip about her in the staff canteen. She looked up at the mirror and saw her own reflection. She looked terrible. Turning on the water tap she splashed her face with cold water and reached for a paper towel to dry her face. When she heard the sound of the door opening she pulled the paper towel from her face and turned to see Mariana, one of her coworkers who was sitting by the same table where Sofia Rojas was spilling her gossip about her. Mariana closed the door slowly behind her and leaned her back against it.

"You okay?" she asked gently.

Valentina looked at her and crumpled the paper towel in her hand and tossed it in the trash.

"Please tell me I got everything wrong? That I didn't just hear Sofia gossiping about me behind my back..." Valentina said hoping against all hope that she had heard wrong.

"I'm sorry Valentina... but you know how she is, she gossips about everything and everyone without even bother to check if it's true or not. Don't worry, no one believes her anyway. It's pretty obvious she's way off track, I mean it's ridiculous. You, a lesbian." Mariana said and chuckled.

Valentina looked away, she couldn't look at her. Mariana noticed the other woman's crestfallen appearance and stopped her chuckle. Could it be true? Was Sofia's gossip actually the truth? No... it couldn't be, could it? Mariana stepped away from the door and took a tentative step closer to the other woman who was still looking down.

"Valentina... is... is Sofia's gossip true? Are you... are you a-" Valentina interrupted her before she could say it.

"I don't know what I am..." she said quietly not looking up.

"But you've left Lucho?" Mariana asked tentatively.

The other woman nodded slowly.

"For... for another woman?"

Valentina nodded again and closed her eyes tightly.

"Oh…well…I-I don't really know what to say…I wasn't expecting that…" Mariana said with a slight shocked tone to her voice.

Valentina didn't look up, she didn't even open her eyes.

"It's okay… I wasn't expecting it either…"

Mariana looked at the woman in front of her and she looked completely devastated. She slowly walked over to her coworker and friend and put a tentative hand on the other woman's shoulder. When Valentina felt Mariana's hand on her shoulder she couldn't hold it in anymore and she started to cry.

"Hey… it's gonna be okay…come here." Mariana said gently and pulled the crying woman into her arms.

Valentina hesitated a second, she didn't want to look like a crying mess in front of her coworker but when she felt Mariana's arms around her she wrapped her own arms around the other woman and accepted her comfort.

Mariana held her till her crying subsided and she felt that Valentina started to relax a little in her arms. She pulled back slowly and rubbed her hands up and down Valentina's upper arms in a soothing manner. Valentina looked down, she couldn't bring herself to look at the other woman, she felt embarrassed for well, the whole situation really.

"I'm sorry…" she said, still looking down.

"You don't have to apologize, you have nothing to apologize for. If anyone should apologize it's Sofia. She really should learn to keep her mouth shut and just mind her own fucking business." Mariana replied.

"Yeah…well… the damage is already done so…" Valentina said softly.

She had no idea what to do. Mariana's first reaction was that she didn't believe Sofia's gossip and everybody in the office knew that whatever Sofia Rojas and Gabriela Pérez said should be taken with a grain of salt. She could deny it and the rest of her coworkers would most likely believe her over the gossip but she also knew that as soon as they find out that she in fact  _has_  left Lucho it would only be a matter of time before those other rumors would start again. Lying about it would not really help anything but just thinking about telling her coworkers and friends cause yes, she did consider most of them as her friends, made her chest tighten. She wasn't ready for this, how could she be? Her life had been turned completely upside down in such a short period of time and everything she thought she knew about herself was obviously wrong.

__Finding out your fiancée is a lesbian__ _…_ Sofia Rojas' word echoed in her head. Was she a lesbian? She was in love with a woman and that made her a lesbian right? God she just wanted to disappear. Mariana's voice brought her back from her thoughts.

"What are you going to do?" Mariana asked tentatively and took a small step back but left one hand on the other woman's arm.

"I have no idea… I just want to disappear honestly, I don't want to go back out there… I can't face them… but I also really want to beat the crap out of Sofia."

That last sentence made Mariana laugh and Valentina chuckled too.

"I thought about denying it…" Valentina continued more serious.

"But it's true… I-I mean I don't know what I am but what she said is true and lying about it now will only make everything worse later… But I'm freaking out Mariana… I can't even believe I'm talking to you about it." Valentina confessed.

"That's understandable. I'm kinda shocked to be honest, I just wasn't expecting it to be true but know that I don't think of you  _ _any__ differently because of this. You're still the same person you've always been, who you fall in love with doesn't change that, okay? So no matter what you decide to do I'm on your side." Mariana said and smiled when the other woman finally looked up and met her eyes.

"Thank you…" Valentina whispered and her lips turned upwards into a small smile.

She was still freaking out but hearing that made the situation a little bit lighter.

Valentina decided to take a sick leave for the rest of the day. She couldn't face the rest of her co-workers that had been in the canteen when Sofia spilled all that gossip about her. She just couldn't do it, she just wanted to get out of there. Mariana told her that she could talk to the others if she wanted her to and the other woman had just nodded, feeling like there was no way she would be able to talk about this in front of her coworkers right now. She needed some time to process everything and to find some courage to deal with it. How that would happen she had no idea…

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She returned home to an empty house which she was really grateful for. Dealing with Lucho after what had happened at work was the last thing she wanted to do. Her head hurt and she just wanted to close her eyes for a moment and forget this day ever happened.

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The sound of glass breaking coming from the kitchen woke her up. She hadn't even realized she'd fallen asleep but as she glanced at the clock on the bedside table it showed 4.47 PM. She'd slept for a while. Getting up she walked out of the guest room and walked into the kitchen where she saw Lucho standing by the fridge looking pale. There was a broken glass laying on the floor by his feet and he was clutching his phone tight in his hand.

“Lucho? Are you okay?” she asked taking a step closer.

Lucho didn't answer, he kept looking straight ahead, she noticed a single tear slowly rolling down his cheek. Stepping closer, careful to avoid the broken glass, she tentatively put her hand on his arm to try and get his attention. Tear filled eyes met hers and it was as if he hadn't even noticed she was there.

“Has something happened?” she asked, her heart beating faster as if prepared for bad news.

“It... it was my dad who called...uhm...” Lucho started with a shaky voice.

“It's...mom. She's had a heart attack... she's at the hospital and they don't know if she's going to make it.”

Valentina was shocked to hear that and seeing Lucho so upset she pulled him in to a hug. He wrapped his arms around her instantly and let out a quiet sob against her shoulder. She'd always liked Lucho's mom so hearing this news was devastating.

“Do you want me to drive you to the hospital?” she asked and pulled back to meet his eyes. She figured he wouldn't be in any state to drive right now. He just nodded.

“Okay, do you want to bring anything?” she asked. He shook his head.

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The drive to the hospital was quiet. Lucho was looking out the window, seemingly deep in thought.

“Did, did your dad say what happened?” she asked gently. Lucho turned towards her and she met his eyes briefly before she continued looking at the road.

“She was out in the garden, harvesting vegetables. Dad found her...she was practically dead but the paramedics managed to get her heart going. But she's unconscious and they're not sure if she's going to wake up again.” Lucho said with a wavering voice.

Valentina just nodded.

“I'm really sorry about this Lucho, but your mom is a strong woman, if anyone can pull through this it's her.” she said.

“Thank you”

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Valentina parked close to the entrance and turned to Lucho.

“Well, let me know how your mom is doing and call me if you need a ride back later.” she said.

“What? You're not coming with me?” Lucho asked.

Valentina hadn't even thought about following him inside.

“I don't think your dad wants me there.” she replied. Lucho looked down.

“I... I haven't told him, or mom... They don't know.” he admitted.

Valentina didn't know what to say, Lucho hadn't told his parents about them. Before she could reply he continued.

“Please Vale, I really need you right now. I know we're not together but can you please not say anything to dad about that? I haven't found an opportunity to tell him and mom and now...She might not make it and I can't drop this on him now too can I?” he said.

Valentina didn't like this. If Lucho hadn't said anything his dad would think everything was fine between them and she wasn't sure she could pretend that it was.

“I don't know Lucho...” she started.

“Valentina please...” he pleaded and though there was a voice in the back of her head telling her that it was a bad idea, she agreed to follow him inside.

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When they stepped out of the elevator and walked towards the big doors of the intensive care unit Lucho took Valentina's hand just before he pushed the door open. Valentina wanted to pull her hand away but when she saw Lucho's father sitting in the waiting area, she let Lucho hold on to her hand.

“Dad” Lucho called out and pulled Valentina with him as he approached his father.

“Lucho” the older man greeted and stood up to pull his son into a hug.

Stepping back he pulled Valentina in next and she felt so awkward hugging her former father in law who had no idea that that was his status now.

“Thank you both for coming, I'm so glad you're here” Lucho's father said.

Lucho stepped closer to Valentina and put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. Valentina started to feel trapped, by Lucho's closeness and the lies.

“How is she doing” Lucho asked.

“There's no change, they're keeping her sedated for now, but they can't say how the outcome will be, but that we should be prepared for the worst.”

“I'm really sorry Javier, Teresa is a strong woman, if anyone can pull through it's her” Valentina said to Lucho's father.

“Thank you Valentina.”

“Can we see her?” Lucho asked and Valentina just wanted to get out of there.

“Yes, they said it was okay to sit with her for a while but that she needed rest. You can go inside if you want, I can get us some coffees meanwhile” Javier said.

“Actually why don't you two go sit with her for a while? I need to go to the bathroom and I can get us some coffee on my way back?” Valentina suggested and stepped away from Lucho.

“If you're sure-” Javier started

“I'm sure, you go see her and I'll be back in a while” Valentina said quickly and took a step back towards the entrance door. Lucho walked up to her.

“Hurry back” he said and leaned closer to kiss her, Valentina moved her head so the kiss landed on her cheek and without another word turned and walked out of the waiting area.

She couldn't breathe, she hurried down to the main entrance and stepped out and took a deep breath trying to calm herself down. This day had been a nightmare and she needed to hear Juliana's voice. She walked over to a bench and sat down with her phone by her ear waiting for Juliana to answer.

“Hey you!” Juliana answered within seconds.

Valentina almost broke down crying when she heard her voice but since she was outside the hospital with lots of people in motion she held herself together.

“Juls...” she started and Juliana could hear on the sound of her voice that something was wrong.

“Hey, what's the matter? Has something happened?” Juliana asked worried.

Valentina let out a sad chuckle not knowing where to even begin.

“This day has been horrible...and I miss you and I just want to see you cause I could really need your arms around me right now...” she sighed.

Juliana felt even more worried and hated that she was so far away.

“I miss you too and I really wish I could be there...” Juliana started.

“What happened?” she asked gently.

“I can't tell you everything right now, I'll tell you more later, but the recent thing that happened is that Lucho's mom had a heart attack and she's in the hospital.” Valentina started.

“Oh my God, how's she doing? I'm really sorry to hear that Val.” Juliana said sincerely.

“She's kept sedated but the doctors said that it doesn't look that good. So I really don't know. But there's something else...” she dreaded having to tell Juliana the next part.

“Okay?” Juliana said feeling a bit of uneasiness hit her.

“Lucho hasn't told his parents that we're over, that I'm leaving him. As far as they know we're still engaged...”she trailed off.

“What?...” Juliana felt her blood turn cold.

“Yeah... I had no idea Juls, I swear.”

“I can't believe it...”

“When we met Lucho's father at the hospital he was so happy to see us both and I just wanted to leave... God...and I got so angry with Lucho. I couldn't believe he hadn't told them that the engagement is off. I felt like such a fool standing there lying, cause obviously I couldn't tell him the truth in that situation, with his wife being so sick. And then I felt bad for getting upset with Lucho when he could lose his mom...” she let out a heavy sigh.

“Hey hey...” Juliana started.

“I don't know what to do... I just want to leave but I think I have to stay... everything is such a mess here and I'm going to talk to Lucho but... he doesn't have anyone else, he's an only child and...” she trailed off not really sure what more to say.

“Val? It's okay, I understand, it's a really difficult situation and I get that you can't drop another bomb on top of what's already going on. Lucho's dad must be very upset as it is, so I get it. So I guess this means I won't see you this weekend then?” Juliana said trying not to sound too disappointed. Which she was.

“Juls...”Valentina breathed her name through the phone hating that she was letting the other woman down.

“Val it's okay, really. You didn't know this would happen and you ended up in a really tricky situation and for now there's nothing you can do about it.” Juliana tried to be supportive, Valentina needed support in this but she didn't like this one bit. And she was afraid that Lucho would try and take advantage of the situation.

Valentina stayed quiet on the other end of the line not knowing what else to say. She could tell that Juliana was disappointed, she was too.

“I should get back inside, I told them I was getting coffees.” Valentina said.

“Okay, I'm not gonna keep you. Will you keep me updated?” Juliana asked.

“Of course. I'll call you when I'm back home again.”

“You don't have to, if things are mess-” Juliana started but Valentina interrupted her.

“Juls, I will call you I promise. Hey?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you okay?” Valentina said trying to convey her feelings through the phone.

“And I love you. Talk to you later then?”

“For sure. I'll call you. Bye...” Valentina heard Juliana mumble a 'goodbye' back before she hung up and walked back into the hospital to get some coffee before she returned to Lucho and his father.

 


End file.
